North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Doreen Howard" <doreenh@ticon.net>]

philip sauber wrote:

.  Citrus nuts in Houston, TX grow them.  Ichang lemon is sour with next to
no lemon flavor.  Here they aren't that cold hardy either.  The problem with
trifoliate citrus hybrids is that the hybrid vigor of the cross make them
vigorous growers which is not what you want for cold hardiness.  For cold
hardiness, you want no sap flowing in the winter.  The bad taste of the
trifoliate disappears far slow

Agreed with much of what you said.  But...having lived 40 miles south of
Houston for 9 years, I can say from experience that there are hardy citrus
worth eating.  I've grown them.  Consider Satsumas.  There was a vigorous
Satsuma industry in the Houston area until about 1930 when a double dose of
a hurricane and a freak winter chill in the teens wiped out the weakened
groves.  Satsumas will take the 20's easily, and with protection, they
weather the teens.  Owara was my favorite, and my tree withstood 18F without
protection.  Owara is a large fruited variety (grapefruit-size) with plenty
of tangerine flavor and juice.  My 2 cents worth.
Doreen Howard,
freezing her b-------t off in Wisconsin where it's nearly zero.