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Our Story

Citrus Crazy

Here at Citrus Direct, we’re absolutely crazy about all things citrus—finger limes, lemons, oranges, limes, mandarins, grapefruits, kumquats... you name it, if it’s citrus, we love it.

We're especially proud of our stunning designer trees. These medium and tall standard varieties transform any space with gorgeous aesthetics while still producing delicious fruit.

Photo: This Cipo Orange Standard, and two others, are now mature trees. They were planted 13 years ago and look stunning at the top of the driveway.

We’ have over 100 varieties of citrus stock trees and have more than 65 varieties available for purchase in 2025, including rare and unusual specimens. From classic favorites like oranges and lemons to exotic varieties such as Buddha’s Hand and Yuzu, we offer a range of flavors, fragrances, sizes, and shapes to delight every gardener.

Our Mission

Our mission is two pronged:

  1. To elevate citrus trees into must have plants in your garden.
  2.  To make our website the go to place for all things citrus related

We aim to achieve this by offering New Zealand’s largest selection of competitively priced grafted citrus trees. We pair our plants with helpful blogs on citrus care, creative recipes (both culinary and household), and an inspiration page where you can see photos of some stunning citrus trees from around the world. 

Who Are We:

Citrus Direct is a family-run business, with three generations woven into every part of our operations. From graphics and marketing, harvesting rootstock seeds, dispatching orders, to pulling weeds in the nursery—every member plays a role.

Photo Above: Joe sweeping the polyhouse-though like most 2 year olds, that enthusiasm fades fast!

Where Are We:

We are nestled in the heart of the Western Bay of Plenty, surrounded by stunning beaches, Tauranga harbour, and the lush Karangahake Gorge. With a warm climate and (usually)  generous rainfall, it's the perfect place to grow citrus. 

Sustainability

At Citrus Direct, we deeply value the land that sustains us. We’re committed to eco-friendly growing practices—from composting to water conservation. Sustainability sits at the core of everything we do.

One example is our use of coir disks on citrus pots. They reduce weeds and retain moisture, especially during those hot summer months.

Photo Above: The Green and Golden Bell Frog camouflaged amongst citrus leaves —a reminder of how important it is to protect natural habitats.

New Ideas

As a relatively young business, we’re always looking for new ways to grow (pun intended!). Staying up to date with the latest citrus-growing trends, practices, and technologies is important to us. We travel across New Zealand and overseas, attending conferences and visiting nurseries.

We’re proud members of:

  • Citrus NZ
  • International Plant Producers Society (IPPS)
  • New Zealand Tree Crops Association (NZTCA)

Photo above: On an IPPS trip to North Carolina, USA (2023), exploring nursery mechanisation innovations.

Why Citrus Trees?

Citrus trees are far more than backyard fruit. They’re nutritious, versatile, and visually stunning. Many Kiwis fondly remember a Meyer lemon by the back steps—but citrus today has evolved. The variety now available offers endless options in flavor, form, and function.

From culinary uses to cleaning, beauty, and decorating, citrus trees are the ultimate multi-tasking garden plant. Visit our citrus recipes, and citrus inspiration pages to see just how far they can take you.

Join the Citrus Direct Whānau!

We’d love for you to feel like part of our extended Citrus Direct family. If you have a citrus-related question, recipe, helpful hint—or even a great photo—please email it to us!

Every contribution that’s published on our website will be credited to you (or kept anonymous, if you prefer). And as a thank-you, you’ll automatically be entered into our monthly draw to receive a free Garden Range citrus tree of your choice—with delivery on us.

This is just one way you can help us make www.citrusdirect.co.nz the go-to hub for all things citrus in Aotearoa.

 

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