Wholesale citrus

Dancy tangerine

Citrus reticulata ‘Dancy’

A richly flavored winter tangerine with easy-peeling fruit and a tendency to alternate between heavy and light crops.

EdibleEasy peelWinter harvestAlternate bearing

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Landscape layersLower canopy

Mature size

Usually 10–20 ft tall and wide; rootstock and pruning change final size

Climate fit

Urban core · USDA 9b–10a · Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b · Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b

Special categories

EDIBLE

Winter chill

None

Typical harvest

Beginning in December

Before you plant

These conditions determine whether it will thrive.

Required microclimate

Placement is part of the growing system.

Zone B — sun morning and afternoon on the open south-facing side. Tough enough for full exposure and more productive for the extra hours.

Cold hardiness

Cover while young

The tree is moderately cold-hardy like most mandarins, holding into the low 20s, but its thin-skinned fruit is not. Cover the tree when a night below 28°F is forecast while fruit is hanging.

Leaves and wood: damaged below 22°F · Blossoms and fruit: below 26°F

Heat tolerance

Takes full sun and heat

In Arizona it only makes good-sized, sweet fruit in the low desert heat. Fruit on the sunny outside of the tree can sunburn in the hottest spots, so keep the canopy full and don't skirt it.

Sources:

citrusvariety.ucr.edu , galveston.agrilife.org , ucanr.edu

Right plant, right place

Will Dancy tangerine grow at your Arizona property?

Plant in fast-draining soil with the graft union above grade. Keep mulch away from the trunk and avoid lawn irrigation at the root crown.

Best regional fit: Urban core · USDA 9b–10a, Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b, Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b.

Light

Sun exposure

Full sun; young trunks and exposed scaffold limbs need sunburn protection

Water

Irrigation

Deep, regular irrigation with drying between cycles; expand the wetted zone as the canopy grows

Fruit set

Pollination

Self-compatible; nearby pollinizers can increase seediness

Harvest

How to use it

Fresh eating and juice

Planting & stewardship

How to help Dancy tangerine thrive

1
Verify both the named cultivar and rootstock on the nursery tag before planting.
2
Whitewash newly exposed bark and protect cold-sensitive trees during hard freezes.
3
Feed in several light applications during the active season rather than one heavy dose.
4
Let fruit color and flavor—not a calendar date alone—confirm harvest readiness.

Read the horticultural reference ↗