How to Choose the Best Citrus Trees to Buy? Citrus options for different needs.

We are often asked about the best citrus trees to buy for different purposes and climates. Based on Citrus Direct Family's experiences, here are our recommendations:

Best for: Asian Cuisine

Makrut (Kaffir) Lime
Calamansi
Rangpur Lime
Kusaie Lime (Yellow Rangpur Variant)
Yuzu Lime
Pomelo

Photo Above: Kaffir AKA Makrut Lime

Best for: Juice For Drinking

Tangelo Seminole
Tarocco Blood Orange
Moro Blood Orange
Star Ruby Grapefruit
Golden Special Grapefruit
Lemonade Lemon
Washington Navel
Navelate

Photo Above: Moro Blood Orange Juice

Best for: School Lunches

All Satsuma Mandarins
Corsica Mandarin
Encore Mandarin
Vainiglia Pink Orange
Washington Navel Orange
Best Seedless Orange
Lemonade

Photo Above: Silverhill Satsuma Mandarin

Best for: Marmalade

Seville Orange
Golden Special Grapefruit
Cutlers Red Grapefruit
Limequat
Bergamot Orange
Kumquat
Chinotto
Blood Orange
Lemonade

Photo Above: Seville Orange. This orange is ugly, seedy, and bitter but it makes an amazing marmalade

Best: Ornamental or Specimen Trees (Trees that Look Beautiful or Unusual)

Finger Limes- Brown, Green, Yellow
Cipo Orange
Chinotto
Variegated Calamansi
Buddha’s Hand
Rangpur Lime
Moro Blood Orange
Variegated Eureka Lemon
Limequat
Kumquats

Photo Above: Meiwa Kumquat tall Standard showing green unripe and yellow partially ripe fruit.

Best for: Eating Fresh

Lemonade
Ugli Fruit
All Blood Oranges
Cara Cara Orange
Navelate Orange
Washington Navel
All Satsuma Mandarins
Corsica Mandarin
Richard Special Mandarin
Encore Mandarin
Pomelo
Star Ruby
Tangelo

Photo Above: Tarocco Blood Orange

Best: With a Gin

Any Finger Lime
Limequat
Bears Lime
Tahitian Lime
Rangpur Lime
Star Ruby Grapefruit

Photo Above: Gin and Tonic with Brown Finger Lime Pearls.

Best: Tried and True Citrus Variety

Meyer Lemon
Yen Ben Lemon
Tahitian Lime
Washington Navel Orange
Navelate Orange
Any Satsuma Mandarin
Golden Special Grapefruit
Cutlers Red Grapefruit
Kumquat

Photo Above: Tahitian Lime Tall Standard with small fruit.

Best For Colder NZ Climates

Yuzu
Satsuma Mandarins
Kumquats
Rangpur Lime
Orangequat
Meyer Lemon- the most cold tolerant lemon.

All of our trees are grafted onto trifoliata rootstock. Trifoliata is cold hardy and by grafting onto trifoliata rootstock we have increased the cold tolerance of each tree.

The above trees will grow outside in areas with frosts but not snowfall or extremely cold weather. For example the above trees won't grow outside during winter in Central Otago, Central North Island (Ohakune, Waiuru).

We suggest, if you wish to grow citrus in a cold area, grow your tree in a pot. Move the pot inside to a sunny position during winter.

Photo Above: Meyer Lemon Medium Height Standard. Ideal for a growing in a pot.

Photo Above: This fruit bowl is a collection of the ripe fruit from our stock trees. Photo taken Mid May. The fruit in the bowl includes: Meiwa Kumquat, Variegated Eureka Lemon, Brown and Green Finger Limes, Tahitian Lime, Kusaie Lime, Corsica Mandarin, Limequat, Key Lime, Silverhill Mandarin.