Poncirus trifoliata --the hardy northern orange tree

This uncommon shrub/small tree is not seen too frequently in Rhode Island. Although completely cold hardy here and perhaps a bit north of here, it is underused I feel. Its a spiny/thorny deciduous plant which produces nice foliage, showy flowers, and orange-like fruit. It prefers full sun and fertile well-drained soil. The pictures below are taken from a plant in RI in the summer (1999). Unfortunately I have no pictures yet of the mature fruits which come later in the season--they aren't too tasty! This first picture is the closest to ripe fruit on this page. There are many citrus plant crosses out there which combine this plant with "regular" subtropical citrus (oranges, lemons, limes, kumquats, and others) which may create a hardiness challenge in cold climates, and hopefully a hardy "real" citrus for northern plant growers. The topic of citrus crosses is a hot one in the citrus world, and there and numerous varieties out there to choose from now. Your climate may or may not limit you with some of these newer citrus crosses. Either way this plant pictured here is hardy here in RI. Also, there is a "Flying Dragon" variety I have seen for sale. This one is generally more contorted in appearance---good hedge!

	A few Pictures here of this hardy and rarely seen small tree. Send me some pictures if you see a nice specimen!--Especially if it has orange fruits!
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