Frequently Asked Questions

What varieties of citrus trees do you sell?

Below are the lists of citrus trees that we currently have available. Those trees that are asterisked are currently growing and will be available later in 2025. We offer 70 varieties of citrus trees for sale, with more becoming available each year. (Currently we have 101 stock trees).

Photo: A few of the many varieties of citrus trees we sell.

If there is a tree you are after, that is not listed below, please contact us and we can let you know when we will have it available.

You can view our shop category pages on Lemons, Limes, Mandarins, Oranges , Grapefruit, Tangors and Quats as well as Rare and Unusual for detailed information including ideal growing conditions, taste, what sizes the trees are available in etc.

Lemons

* indicates trees are currently growing and will be available later in 2025./2026

Eureka -Variegated
Genoa
Lemonade
Lisbon
Meyer
Pondarosa
Villa Franca
Yen Ben
Eureka *

Limes

* indicates trees are currently growing and will be available later in 2025/2026

Bearss
Finger Lime Aubergine *
Finger Lime Brown
Finger Lime Green
Finger Lime Green Petite leaf *
Finger Lime Yellow
Kaffir (Makrut)
Key Lime
Kusaie Lime
Perrine *
Rangpur Lime
Tahitian
Yuzu

Oranges

Bergamot
Bests Seedless
CaraCara
Carters Navel
Chinotto
Cipo*
Fukumoto
Harwood Late
Lue Gim Gong
Moro
Navalina
Navelate
Newhall
Sanguinello
Seville
Tarocco
Vainiglia Pink
Washington Navel

Mandarins

* indicates trees are currently growing and will be available later in 2025/2026.

Afourer
Aoshima
Beauty of Glen Retreat
Burgess Scarlet
Corsica
Clementine*
Encore
Kawano
Miho
Miyagawa Wase
Okitsu
Richards Special
Silverhill
Thorny
Willowleaf

Grapefruit, Tangs & Quats

* indicates trees are currently growing and will be available later in 2025/2026.

Bay Gold*
Calamansi*
Calamansi-Variegated*
Cutlers Red
Dweet
Golden Special
Kiyomi
Kumquat Meiwa
Kumquat Nagami
Limequat
Mandarinquat
Orangequat
Pomelo *
Star Ruby
Tangelo Seminole
Ugli Fruit

Rare and Unusual

* indicates trees are currently growing and will be available later in 2025.

Buddha’s Hand
Calamansi*
Calamansi-Variegated*
Cipo*
Etrog
Finger Lime Aubergine *
Finger Lime Brown
Finger Lime Green
Finger Lime Green Petite leaf *
Finger Lime Yellow
Perrine *
Pomelo*
Ponderosa *
Powell Navel
Rangpur Lime
Trifoliata
Ugli Fruit
Willowleaf
Yuzu

What size trees do you sell?

Garden Range
4-5L Pot | Plant height from the top of potting mix 600-900mm

Established 17 L Range
17L Bag | Plant height from top of potting mix 750-1200mm

Medium Standard Range 5L pot
5L Pot | Plant height from top of potting mix 800-1200mm

Medium Standard Range 14L pot
14L Pot | Plant height from top of potting mix 800mm-1200mm

Tall Standard Range
5L Pot | Pot Plant height from top of potting mix 1100-1800mm

See more detailed information on the different ranges.

Are your trees grafted or own-rooted?

All our trees are grafted on Trifoliata root stock, which we grow on site. The reasons for this choice are:

Trifoliata’s adaptability to NZ’s climate and soil: New Zealand tends to have heavier soils and a wetter, colder climate, than the ideal growing conditions for citrus trees. Trifoliata handles these conditions better than other rootstocks or the roots of the individual citrus trees.

Tree size and management: Trifoliata rootstock influences the size of the grafted citrus tree. While it won't make it a dwarf tree, it will typically limit the mature height to a more manageable 2.5 - 4 metres. This is ideal for smaller home gardens and makes harvesting easier.

Fruit production: Trifoliata is known to promote good fruit production in grafted citrus trees.

Disease and pest resistance: Trifoliata is generally considered to be a hardy rootstock that is resistant to many common citrus pests and diseases. This helps to improve the overall health and lifespan of the grafted citrus tree.

Overall, trifoliata rootstock offers a good balance of hardiness, size control, and fruitfulness, making it a well-suited option for New Zealand citrus growers.

Photo: The Fruit on our Trifoliata Hedge is almost ready to be collected for seed processing.

Planting and Care

Do you offer planting or care instructions?
We provide fertiliser tablets for each tree and a basic planting guide. For further details see our post: A Step-by-Step Guide to Help you Plant your Citrus Trees and Finger Limes - How to Plant, Care, Use and Choose a which Range

Do your trees come with fruit?

Not very often unless the tree is being sold specifically as currently bearing fruit. We will send out emails or list on the website when fruit bearing trees are available. If you purchase a garden range tree, your chances of receiving a tree with fruit are higher if you purchase a Meyer Lemon or Tahitian Lime tree. Standard Kumquat, Limequat and Meyer Lemon will often have fruit. If you would like fruit on your tree, mention it in the comments section when you order and we will let you know if we can supply this for you.

Photo: Ripe Limequats on a Standard

Why is it that, in many countries, oranges, limes etc are green when ripe?

In countries such as Samoa, and Thailand that have warm days and nights their citrus is green when ripe. In comparison, citrus rinds in colder climates like ours in New Zealand, change colour due to cooler temperatures affecting chlorophyll production. Here's the simple explanation:

Warm = Green: Warmer temperatures allow plants to produce more chlorophyll, the green pigment that dominates in unripe citrus rinds. These warmer temperatures keep the rind green.
Cold = Breakdown: Colder temperatures slow down or stop chlorophyll production. Existing chlorophyll starts to break down.
Hidden Colours Revealed: With less chlorophyll, the carotenoids (yellow, orange, red pigments) that were already present in the rind become visible, causing the colour change.

So, the cooler climate (8-15c) essentially acts like a switch, turning off chlorophyll production and letting the hidden colours shine through.

Ordering and Payment

What payment methods do you accept?
Visa, Mastercard and Direct Deposit.

Do you offer discounts for bulk orders?
Yes, we do. Please contact us and we can discuss with you pricing and how we can best help you.

How can I contact you with further questions?
Contact us or email us directly at contact@citrusdirect.co.nz

Shipping and Delivery

We ship throughout N.Z, with the exception of the Chatham Islands. For full details see additional aanformation in our Shipping Policy page.