Trifoliate Orange seed
LATIN NAME: Citrus trifoliata
COMMON NAME: Trifoliate Orange, Hardy Orange, Japanese Bitter Orange
The trifoliate orange is a tough and spiny little citrus of the cold lands, and its hard, bitter fruits and its curious, three-lobed leaves have marked the hedgerows and the gardens of the East for a very long time. It grows as a spiny, deciduous shrub or small tree, reaching up to five metres, with the characteristic, trifoliate leaves, borne in threes, and, in the spring, the many white, fragrant, five-petalled flowers, followed by the hard, round, aromatic, golden-yellow fruits, which are bitter and are used for their fragrance and their peel, while the whole plant is armed with long, sharp thorns. It is a member of the rue family, and there has been debate over whether it should be placed in its own genus, Poncirus, or included in the genus Citrus, while it is the hardiest of the citrus, and it is widely used as a rootstock.
The trifoliate orange is a member of the rue family, Rutaceae, and there has been debate over whether it should be considered to belong to its own genus, Poncirus, or be included in the genus Citrus. It is the hardiest of the citrus, prized for its fragrant spring bloom and its hard, bitter, aromatic fruits, and it is widely used as a rootstock.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The trifoliate orange has a genuine and distinguished place in both horticultural and agricultural research. It has been studied in agriculture and in the research on the citrus, since it is the hardiest of the citrus and it has been widely used as a rootstock for the cultivated oranges and the other citrus fruits, and researchers have examined its value as a rootstock, its hardiness and its management, while the grafting of the citrus onto the hardy trifoliate orange has been examined, and the tree has been of great importance in the cold citrus regions. The tree has also been studied in botany, since its classification, whether in its own genus or in the genus Citrus, has been a noted question, and researchers have examined its relationships and its genetics, while the study of the citrus family has been of continuing interest. The species has also been studied in chemistry, since the bitter, aromatic fruits contain valuable compounds, and researchers have examined their content and their potential uses, while the fruits have had traditional uses. For a tree of such toughness and such importance, the trifoliate orange has a rich and distinguished record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the trifoliate orange is a generous tree of the cold citrus lands. Its fragrant white flowers feed the bees, its hard fruits feed the birds and the small animals, and its thorny, leafy growth gives shelter, while it is a hardy presence in the hedgerows and the gardens.
Its economic value is real and considerable. It is the hardiest of the citrus, and its value as a rootstock for the cultivated citrus fruits has made it of great importance in the cold citrus regions, while the bitter, aromatic fruits have also been used for their fragrance and their peel, and the hardy orange has drawn attention in the international horticultural press as the citrus for the cold garden. For a grower, the trifoliate orange is an easy and hardy tree, and for a gardener it brings fragrant spring bloom and hard, golden, aromatic fruits. The seeds are easy and fresh seeds sprout readily — sow them in a pot of moist, free-draining compost in a sunny, sheltered spot, keep them lightly watered, and they’ll sprout within a few weeks, growing on into a hardy, spiny, fragrant tree.
common name：Poncirus trifoliata-Citrus trifoliata
This is a beautiful small tree, that gets fragrant white flowers, and it actually produces sour but edible oranges. The fruit is extremely sour or bitter, but is sometimes used to make a lemonade type beverage or marmalades. This particular variety has twisted stems and thorns and is a bit more of a compact grower. It is a rounded upright grower, and this is deciduous.