A recent University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) article described five “odd and unusual” citrus varieties that can be grown in northern California. They are Nagami kumquat, yuzu hybrid citrus, Flying Dragon orange, finger lime and Buddha’s Hand citron.
The article noted that Nagami, yuzu and Flying Dragon are cold tolerant to well below freezing. Finger lime and Buddha’s Hand, however, are very frost-sensitive.
All five varieties require full sun, good drainage and consistent watering without waterlogging. All should be pruned in early spring to remove dead or diseased branches and to maintain shape, the article reported.
Brief excerpts from the article follow:
NAGAMI KUMQUAT
Nagami is an evergreen tree that produces orange fruit the size and shape of a large olive. It is very prolific, producing fruit most of the year. The entire fruit is edible, including the skin, flesh and seeds. The skin is sweet, and the flesh is juicy and sour.
YUZU
Yuzu is an evergreen tree with 2-inch thorns throughout. The fruit is the size and shape of a tangerine, with a bumpy, textured skin and lots of seeds inside. The flavor is often described as a cross between grapefruit, mandarin and lemon. Due to its extreme tartness and abundant seeds, the yuzu fruit is rarely consumed fresh, but the skin and juice are widely used in everything from drinks and sauces to desserts.
FLYING DRAGON
Flying Dragon is a deciduous tree with contorted branches and curved, hook-shaped thorns said to resemble dragon’s claws. Since it is deciduous, Flying Dragon is extremely cold hardy, tolerating temperatures as low as 0 to -10 degrees. Its primary use is as a dwarfing rootstock for other edible citrus varieties. It bears bumpy yellow fruit that is approximately two inches in diameter, with extremely sour juice that is not usually considered edible.
FINGER LIME
Finger limes grow on evergreen trees with smaller, quite sharp thorns throughout. It produces long, narrow, finger-shaped fruit. Finger lime is also known as sushi lime or citrus caviar because the pulp — consisting of tart, juicy pearl-like vesicles — resembles caviar. It is used as a garnish for a wide range of dishes, and in desserts and cocktails. Different varieties produce green-, red- or yellow-skinned fruit.
BUDDHA’S HAND
Buddha’s Hand is an evergreen tree with some sharp thorns, but nowhere near the thorniness of the other varieties discussed. Its fruit has finger-like segments connected at the base and resembling open or closed hands. The fruit ranges in size from 6 to 12 inches and is essentially all peel (no seeds and no juice). It is useful for zesting, candying, marmalades, sauces, marinades and cocktails.
The full article, with much more information about each variety, can be seen here.
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