How do you recognise Mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata)?

Leaf

Salicyna, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Mandarin orange

Citrus reticulata Blanco

Also known as: Tangerine

Family: Rutaceae

2 to 4 m tall

Planted in orchards and gardens, mild Mediterranean climate

Flowering: March – May

Full sun

Not very hardy, dislikes frost below -5°C, grown in pots outside the mildest regions

❓ How do you recognise this plant?

The mandarin's thin, easily removed skin, unlike that of the orange which clings tightly to the pulp, is the characteristic that made this fruit successful as an easy-peel citrus. Very similar foliage and outline. The mandarin is distinguished by smaller, flattened fruits with skin that comes away easily, unlike the orange.

🍃 Leaves

Evergreen, ovate-lanceolate, glossy, aromatic when crushed

🌸 Flowers

White, highly scented, solitary or in groups of 2-3

🍎 Fruits

Small orange citrus fruit, flattened at the poles, with thin, easily removed skin, sweet pulp divided into segments

🪵 Bark

Greyish, branches sometimes slightly thorny

🗺️ Distribution

Native to Asia; grown around the French Mediterranean coast, notably in Corsica and on the Côte d'Azur

🐝 Value for pollinators

Highly scented, nectar-rich flowering, appreciated by bees in spring

✂️ Horticultural uses

Ornamental fruit tree for mild climates, also grown in a pot and brought indoors in winter in cooler climates

⚠️ Possible toxicity

Fruit edible, no known toxicity to humans; leaves and peel contain essential oils and psoralens that are toxic to cats and dogs (vomiting, diarrhoea, depression, photosensitisation).