Clementine Mandarin Tree (Mandarina Clementina)

About the Clementine Mandarin Tree (Mandarina Clementina)

The clementine is the little mandarin everyone reaches for: small to medium, glossy deep orange, very easy to peel and sweet with just enough acidity to keep it lively. Grown on its own it often sets few or no seeds, which makes it a favourite with children; nearby citrus of other varieties can increase seed count through cross-pollination. It is an early variety, ripening in late autumn and early winter. Clementines colour and sweeten best with cool nights, so they excel in the Bajío, the highlands and northern Mexico.

How to Care for It

Plant in full sun in deep, well-drained soil; citrus hates waterlogged roots, so raise the bed on heavy clay. Water deeply once or twice a week in the dry season and let the topsoil dry between waterings. Feed with a citrus fertiliser with micronutrients (zinc, iron, magnesium) three times a year, mulch without touching the trunk, and remove shoots that sprout below the main branches.

Fresh limes for every taco and juice from your own tree. Persian, Colima and criollo limes, Valencia and navel oranges, five mandarins, grapefruit, pomelo and Yucatán's own lima de chiche, grown on our farms and shipped by DHL to most of Mexico.

Growing Profile

Botanical name

Citrus × clementina

Family

Rutaceae

Native to

Algeria, late 19th century; now grown widely around the Mediterranean

Mature height

2.5–4 m

Plant spacing

4 m

Years to first fruit

2–3 years

Light

Full sun

Water

Moderate

Cold tolerance

down to -4 °C

Best climates

Dry tropics, Subtropical, Mild highlands, Arid / desert

Grows in a pot

Yes

Ships from

Our farms in Yucatán & Chiapas