Wholesale citrus

Orlando tangelo

Citrus × tangelo ‘Orlando’

Also known as Orlando

A Dancy tangerine and Duncan grapefruit cross with mild, very juicy fruit, ripe early in the winter. It sets far more fruit with another mandarin or tangelo nearby.

EdibleTangeloEarly seasonJuicy

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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

November through January

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

One of the more cold-tolerant tangelos, a bit hardier than Minneola, with wood holding into the low 20s. It ripens in November, so the fruit is usually picked before frost. Cover young trees their first two or three winters.

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

Heat tolerance

Shade from late-afternoon sun

Handles Phoenix heat like other tangelos. It is less vigorous than Minneola, so keep the lower branches to shade the trunk and fruit.

Sources:

citrusvariety.ucr.edu , extension.arizona.edu , extension.arizona.edu

Right plant, right place

Will Orlando tangelo 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

Partly self-fruitful; heavier crops with another mandarin or tangelo nearby

Harvest

How to use it

Juice and fresh eating

Planting & stewardship

How to help Orlando tangelo 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 ↗