Evergreen

Evergreens keep our lawns interesting in the winter when their deciduous neighbors have dropped their leaves for the season. For this reason, you probably want to keep your evergreens happy and healthy, and fertilizers are one way to do that!

The most effective evergreen fertilizers are high in nitrogen. This is the mineral most readily absorbed by evergreens as opposed to phosphorous, potassium, or micronutrients. Fertilizers that are high in nitrogen work by providing evergreens with the nutrients they need to complete photosynthesis.

Below, we’ll go over the most effective evergreen fertilizers and give you a little more detail on how they work and when to use them.

Why You Should Fertilize Your Evergreen Tree

Before we get into the best, most effective evergreen fertilizers, let’s answer an obvious question: Does your evergreen need fertilizer?

According to the University Of Minnesota, evergreens need less fertilizer than deciduous trees but still benefit from the occasional nutrient bump.

If your evergreen is showing signs of nutrient distress such as slow growth or abnormally-colored foliage, it may need fertilization to provide missing nutrients.

Applying fertilizer to young trees and shrubs is beneficial to help promote fast growth and development. It’s also beneficial to fertilize evergreens affected by pests or those planted in poor soil conditions. Fertilizers can help the trees bounce back from these stresses more easily.

Newly planted evergreens that aren’t growing very fast do not necessarily need fertilizers. Most of the growth may be happening beneath the soil where the plant is establishing a root system. Nitrogen-high fertilizers are likely to stimulate growth above the soil, not below.

For this reason, it’s not recommended to fertilize evergreens that have just been transplanted. Give them a season or two to establish a good root system before fertilizing.

Another way you can tell if you need to fertilize your evergreen or not is to perform a soil test. This is a little more time-consuming, but it will give you all the details you need about your soil including:

• Nutrient content
• Soil PH – evergreens like their soil to be slightly acidic
• Type of soil – clay, sand, loam, etc.

Knowing this information will put you miles ahead on knowing exactly what your evergreen requires. Knowing the type of soil will also help identify what kind of fertilizer you need.

For example, clay soils tend to promote runoff because it holds water. Using a slow-release fertilizer on clay soils will be more beneficial for your evergreen than using a fast-release, water-soluble fertilizer.

What Time Of The Year Should You Fertilize Your Evergreen Trees?

If you’ve determined that your evergreen needs fertilizer, you want to be careful about when you fertilize it.

Fertilizing your evergreen too late in the season may promote new growth at a time when the tree should be slowing down and hardening off for winter.

Fertilizing your evergreen too early can promote growth before the threat of frost has passed, causing brittle twigs and possible dieback.

So, when is the golden timeframe to fertilize your evergreens? 

According to Clemson University, you should apply fertilizer once in early spring and again in early summer. This is when active growth is occurring and nutrients are most likely to be absorbed by your evergreen.

One thing to note is that you should never fertilize your evergreens during a drought. 

Evergreens will be stressed from drought and the nutrients will force them to grow when they don’t have the necessary energy or water. This can cause root burn, which can severely stunt your evergreen’s future growth and health.

How Fertilizers Work In The First Place

A lot of people think that fertilizers are ‘plant food.’ This is a common misconception and understandable. After all, fertilizers are nutrients. Isn’t that kind of like food?

In reality, fertilizers simply provide nutrients to your evergreens so that they can make food. evergreens get food from photosynthesis, but for photosynthesis to work, a lot of things have to go right. 

Your evergreen has to have green leaves or needles and grow enough to reach the sunlight. It also has to have enough water and carbon.

For all of that to happen, the evergreen needs nutrients. 

The most important nutrients for evergreens are nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous, also known as NPK. But besides that, they also need carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, calcium, magnesium, boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, zinc, and chlorine!

Fertilizers help to give evergreens all of those nutrients so that they can focus on growing new shoots, new leaves, and flowering, instead of worrying about just surviving with minimal nutrients.

Fertilizers are especially effective for evergreens because these trees continue to photosynthesize all year instead of going dormant in the winter.

You can read more about how evergreens keep growing in the winter here to learn more about that!

Most Effective Fertilizers For Your Evergreens

As we mentioned before, the best fertilizer for evergreens will typically contain high amounts of nitrogen. Phosphorous is rarely needed in evergreen fertilizers, while potassium may or may not be needed depending on the specific area where you live and the soil content.

Other micronutrients like magnesium, calcium, and sulfur are included in some fertilizers but typically are not as important as nitrogen.

Let’s take a look at the most effective fertilizers for your evergreens so you can keep them healthy and green for years to come.

Complete Fertilizer

Complete fertilizers are those that have a ratio of the three major nutrients: 

• Nitrogen
• Phosphorous
• Potassium

These are typically listed in an NPK ratio on the fertilizer container that refers to the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, respectively. For example, a 16-4-8 complete fertilizer has 16% nitrogen, 4% phosphorous, and 8% potassium.

For evergreens, it’s recommended to use a fertilizer higher in nitrogen such as 16-4-8 or 12-6-6. The reason nitrogen is so important is that it leaches through the soil more quickly than potassium or phosphorus, so it needs to be replenished more often than other nutrients.

The Andersons Store Professional PGF Complete 16-4-8 Fertilizer is a good choice for your evergreen. This is an 18-pound bag and for your evergreen, you want about 3 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet.

If you can’t stand math, the product we suggested has a table on the back of the bag for easy measurement! That way you’ll know exactly how much to use for your evergreen.

When To Use A Complete Fertilizer

The type of fertilizer you use on your evergreen will depend on a few different things such as what the soil conditions are, what problems your tree/shrub is having, and any results from a soil test.

Complete fertilizers are good to use as a basic fertilizer when you have no real knowledge of what nutrients are in your soil. Complete fertilizers cover all the basics and will be helpful to your evergreen no matter the situation. 

Studies like this one reported in PLOS ONE Journal have shown that fertilizers containing the essential NPK nutrients increase the growth and diameter of evergreen trees (fertilizer applied to different forests containing species of Nothofagus betuloides and Nothofagus pumilio in Patagonia.)

The downside to complete fertilizers is they are not geared toward specific situations. If your evergreen is already planted in potassium-rich soil, using a complete fertilizer may overcharge the available potassium nutrients.

While this won’t kill your evergreen, it won’t give it the optimal nutrients it needs and growth may not be as dramatic as you’d like.

Nitrogen-Only Fertilizer (Urea & Ammonium Sulfate)

Urea is used as a fertilizer and has a very high nitrogen content. Urea fertilizers are 46-0-0, meaning it has no potassium or phosphorous in the product. Ammonium fertilizers are usually 21-0-0.

Urea and ammonium fertilizers typically come as granules that can be spread into the soil to give your evergreens a nice nutrient boost.

Nitrogen will promote growth above the soil such as new leaves, needles, and stem growth. Similar to complete fertilizers, you don’t want to apply these to brand-new transplants as you’ll want to give them time to establish roots.

According to the University of Minnesota, urea can quickly be lost to the atmosphere if allowed to sit on the soil surface in warm weather. If you decide to go with a urea fertilizer, be sure to work it into the soil when applying as opposed to simply spreading it on the surface of the soil.

Cesco Solutions, Inc. Store’s Urea Fertilizer 5lb bag contains a ratio of 46-0-0. It comes in the form of granules, which makes for easy spreading. Just remember to work the urea into the soil as it can be absorbed readily into the atmosphere.

For ammonium sulfate, Cesco also makes an Ammonium Sulfate Fertilizer 5lb Bag that’s a ratio of 21-0-0. Ammonium sulfate does not leach into the atmosphere as quickly or degrade as quickly as urea. However, it has a lower nitrogen content.

When To Use A High-Nitrogen Fertilizer

There are pros and cons to using a nitrogen-only fertilizer like urea or ammonium sulfate. Nitrogen is certainly the most important nutrient for evergreens, but it’s not the only nutrient your evergreen needs.

Using a urea or ammonium sulfate fertilizer is a good choice if you know the nutrient contents of your soil.

If you know your soil contains enough potassium and phosphorous, then using a nitrogen-only fertilizer will be the most beneficial to your evergreen.

Adding in extra potassium or phosphorous when your soil already has an abundance can slow growth. So, using a high-nitrogen fertilizer is great if you know your soil is flush with those nutrients.

Slow-Release Fertilizer

Slow-release fertilizers are complete fertilizers that are coated with sulfur or some other component to slowly trickle the nutrients into the soil as opposed to releasing them all at once.

Look for a slow-release fertilizer that has similar NPK ratios as complete fertilizers (16-4-8 or 12-6-6). This is the best ratio for evergreen trees, giving them enough nitrogen to promote new above-ground growth.

When using a slow-release fertilizer, you can apply it one time for the entire year, preferably in late spring. These can be supplemented with a fast-release fertilizer if your tree is established but young. For mature evergreens, you don’t need both.

A good slow-release fertilizer would be Schultz Nursery Plus Slow-Release Plant Food. It has an NPK ratio of 12-6-6, which is ideal for evergreens. It also contains other micronutrients that are released slowly into the soil to prevent any type of root burn.

When To Use Slow-Release Fertilizers

So, when should you use slow-release fertilizers as opposed to fast-release or nitrogen-only fertilizers?

Similar to complete fertilizers, slow-release fertilizers are good when you’re not sure what the nutrient content of your soil is. Having all three macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium) will cover all the bases and give your evergreen enough nutrients to promote new growth.

Specifically, you’ll want to use slow-release fertilizers if your soil is prone to runoff such as in clay soils or on slopes.

According to Clemson University, slow-release fertilizers are also great for young shrubs and trees, giving them a constant supply of nutrients when they need it the most.

Runoff is an important factor when deciding on a fertilizer. According to an article in the Journal of HortTechnology, slow-release fertilizers are less damaging to the environment in terms of entering the water table.

Slow-release fertilizers aren’t a great solution for when your trees are nutrient stressed and need a nutrient boost right away. For those situations, you’ll want a water-soluble fertilizer.

Overall, I really like slow release fertilizers a lot as they’re less likely to overload the tree!

Fast-Release Fertilizers (Water-Soluble)

On the opposite spectrum of slow-release fertilizers are water-soluble fertilizers. These get leached into the soil and are available to your evergreens right away.

Some complete fertilizers are water-soluble, but not all. It will usually say right on the packaging if it’s water-soluble or not.

Miracle-Gro Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food is a fast-acting fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 24-8-16. This isn’t our perfect evergreen ratio, but it still has high nitrogen, low phosphorous, and mid-range potassium, which is a really good overall combination.

When To Use Fast-Release Fertilizers

As the name suggests, fast-release fertilizers are meant to provide evergreens with nutrients right away. Once the fertilizer enters the soil, your evergreen can immediately absorb them and put them to use.

Fast-release fertilizers are best used on evergreens that are nutrient-stressed. Some of the signs of nutrient stress include:

• Brown or yellow foliage
• Lack of flowers or cones
• Stunted growth
• Lack of any new growth in the spring

In these situations, it’s best to apply a fast-release fertilizer so that your evergreens can quickly fix their nutrient imbalance and continue to grow.

Organic Fertilizer

Nothing works quite as good as mother nature to give your evergreen exactly what it needs. Organic fertilizers do just that!

Organic fertilizers for evergreen trees can mean a few different materials:

• Fallen leaves
• Manure
• Compost
• Worm castings
• Guano

The advantage of using an organic fertilizer on your evergreen is that it includes all the macro and micro-nutrients your evergreen will need.

Plus, it avoids the additives and chemicals that come with synthetic fertilizers.

You can use fallen leaves as a replacement for mulch around your evergreens. According to the University of Maryland, this will provide your evergreens with a slow release of nutrients while the leaves break down.

Make sure to chop the leaves up relatively fine so that they break down faster than if the leaves were whole.

Compost is another option, but it’s recommended only to use about a 1-inch layer of compost to fertilize your evergreens.

Worm castings are, well, there’s no good way to put it…it’s worm poo. Worm castings are the result of worms eating through compost, vegetables, leaves, and whatever else they find palatable and passing it through their system.

The result is an extremely rich organic fertilizer that has all kinds of goodies your evergreen will love including the standard NPK, but also magnesium, calcium, phosphates, iron, and a host of other micronutrients.

Unless you are very patient with your worm farm, you’ll want to grab worm casting fertilizers online such as Arcadia Garden Products Worm Nerd Worm Castings. This is a 4-pound bag and is a great organic fertilizer for your evergreen(s).

Guano is another one of those organic fertilizers that aren’t a dinner-table-appropriate conversation. It’s the droppings of seabirds and bats. According to an article in the International Journal of Ecology, ‘guano’ is a Quechua word that translates to ‘fertilizer.’

This organic fertilizer is high in nitrogen and contains many other macro and micro-nutrients that will help your evergreen grow to its full potential each season.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to go cave exploring to find guano fertilizer. Down to Earth’s Organic Bat Guano Fertilizer is a 2-pound bag with an NPK ratio of 7-3-1.

When To Use Organic Fertilizers

Using organic fertilizers is a great choice if you’d rather not deal with chemically-calculated synthetic fertilizers. It’s a more natural solution that’s less likely to harm waterways and the environment.

Because organic fertilizers are considered ‘slow-release,’ they’ll be especially effective for evergreens growing on slopes or in poor soil conditions.

Organic fertilizers have the added benefit of being natural. You don’t have to worry about runoff or any chemicals getting into the water table. You can simply spread the fertilizer and reap the benefits!

The one downside to organic fertilizers is that they don’t contain a concentrated amount of nutrients like synthetic fertilizers.

Fertilizer Spikes And Liquid Fertilizer

Other types of fertilizers available for your evergreens are fertilizer spikes and liquid fertilizer. These aren’t any different than our other fertilizers besides the delivery method.

So far, most of the fertilizers on our list were granules that can be spread around or worked into the soil.

Spikes and liquid forms come in many varieties such as water-soluble or slow-release but have a different delivery methods.

Fertilizer spikes like Miracle-Gro’s Tree & Shrub Plant Food Spikes come in a 15-5-10 NPK ratio. This package comes with 12 spikes and has a guide on the back to let you know how many spikes you should use based on your evergreen’s drip line.

Spikes are more akin to slow-release fertilizers rather than water-soluble fertilizers. They dissolve slowly over time, providing your evergreen with constant nutrients.

Liquid fertilizers are more akin to fast-release fertilizers. They are absorbed into the soil quickly and are available to your evergreens sooner rather than later. 

The nice thing about liquid fertilizers is that they come in high nitrogen contents such as 28-0-0, which is great for evergreens.

When To Use Fertilizer Spikes And Liquid Fertilizer

Using spikes or liquid fertilizer is more of a preference than having anything to do with your evergreen’s nutrient or soil situation.

They both come in a variety of different kinds of fertilizers that we discussed above. The only difference is the delivery method.

That’s A Wrap!

Evergreens work overtime in the winter. Unlike most plants that go dormant, evergreens still photosynthesize, keeping their leaves and needles green.

But just because evergreens are hard workers doesn’t mean they won’t benefit from being fertilized here and there.

The best fertilizer for evergreens will be high in nitrogen. This is the most important nutrient for evergreens and can be readily absorbed.

Now, for a quick recap:

The most effective fertilizers for evergreens include:

• Complete fertilizer
• Nitrogen-only fertilizer (Urea & Ammonium Sulfate)
• Slow-release fertilizer
• Water-soluble fertilizers (fast release)
• Organic fertilizers (compost, worm casting, leaves, guano)
• Fertilizer spikes
• Liquid fertilizer

These fertilizers should be used depending on your evergreen’s specific situation. Knowing the nutrient content and type of soil where your evergreen is growing is a huge advantage.

Best of luck on your tree journey!

References

Chastain, R. A., Currie, W. S., & Townsend, P. A. (2006, August). Carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling implications of the evergreen understory layer in Appalachian forests. Forest Ecology and Management, 231(1-3), 63-77.

Promis, A., & Allen, R. B. (2017, November 30). Tree seedlings respond to both light and soil nutrients in a Patagonian evergreen-deciduous forest. Plus One, 12(11).

Scagel, C. F., Bi, G., Fuchigami, L. H., & Regan, R. P. (2007, October). Seasonal Variation in Growth, Nitrogen Uptake and Allocation by Container-grown Evergreen and Deciduous Rhododendron Cultivars. HortScience, 42(6), 10.

Souraya Sakoui, Reda Derdak, Boutaina Addoum, Aurelio Serrano-Delgado, Abdelaziz Soukri, Bouchra El Khalfi, “The Life Hidden Inside Caves: Ecological and Economic Importance of Bat Guano”, International Journal of Ecology, vol. 2020, Article ID 9872532, 7 pages, 2020.

Citrus trees are often associated with warm, tropical climates like Florida, Hawaii, and California. In these areas, winter isn’t some cold, dark season where trees lose their leaves and go dormant. Most citrus trees are evergreens and keep producing fruits all year!

Some of the most common citrus trees that are evergreens include orange, lime, lemon, mandarin, calamondin, grapefruit, kumquat, tangerine, and pummelo. Within’ each of those broad citrus tree categories are specific types of citrus trees such as Valencia oranges or Meyer lemons.

Below we’ll go over the 9 most common citrus trees that are evergreens and where they grow. Let’s get to it!

How Can Citrus Trees Be Evergreen?

Before we get into the specific types of citrus trees that are evergreen, let’s answer the question of why they are evergreen?

Citrus trees are evergreen because they grow in warm climates. Trees that drop their leaves do so because cold conditions make keeping the tree alive more difficult. 

Dropping leaves is a way to conserve energy so they do not need to deliver nutrients to each leaf and can keep that food and energy for the main part of the tree – the trunk and branches.

Because most citrus trees never see snow, they can keep their leaves throughout the year and don’t have to worry too much about conserving energy.

However, one minor adaptation that citrus trees have is that their leaves are typically smaller than those on deciduous trees. This conserves energy and is just one more reason why citrus trees are evergreen.

According to Clemson University, the satsuma mandarin, kumquats, and grapefruit are some of the most cold-hardy citrus fruits.

But wait, what about the evergreen trees that grow in cold climates? Not all evergreen trees live in tropical climates. Some have special adaptations that allow them to survive cold conditions AND keep their leaves. 

Citrus trees are not so lucky and must live in warm tropical or subtropical climates to keep their leaves all year.

Evergreen Orange Trees

Like most citrus trees, oranges feel at home in sunny, warm, tropical climates. They originated from Asia but are now grown in many different countries including the United States.

In the US, oranges can grow in portions of California, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Arizona, and Florida. Florida produces the most oranges, which comes as no surprise since Florida’s state fruit is the orange!

But when we say ‘orange’ we’re not referring to just one single fruit. There are tons of varieties of oranges. Some of the most common orange variates include:

• Sweet orange
• Bitter orange
• Blood orange
• Valencia orange
• Navel orange

According to the University of Florida, navel oranges are the most popular orange cultivated in Florida because they can be eaten fresh or used for orange juice. Valencia oranges are used extensively for orange juice.

Orange trees can grow up to around 50 feet but typically reach around 25 feet. They prefer temperatures to be between close to 55℉ and 100℉.

These subtropical trees can survive brief cold periods but are often injured and damaged if exposed for too long. They thrive in hardiness zones 9-11.

Indoor planting is possible for orange trees, but don’t expect the fruit to develop very fast. It can take up to a year for an orange to fully develop. However, the benefit of planting indoors is that you can live in the cold north and still grow fresh oranges!

There are a few different suggestions on how often you should water oranges, but many people (including us) suggest to water them every few days!

Lime Trees Are Evergreen

Limes are used in a ton of different stuff. Of course, key limes are used in pies, but limes are also used in beverages, food dishes, and as a cleaning agent.

These versatile fruits are thought to have originated in southeast Asia, but their origin is not 100% known. The most common lime is the Tahitian lime (also known as Persian lime), which is what you will find in grocery stores. Kaffir and Key Lime are two more common lime varieties. 

Most lime trees thrive in hardiness zones 9-11, similar to orange trees. However, unlike oranges, limes are not commercially grown in the United States. At least, not in numbers significant enough to report.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Florida used to be a major commercial lime producer. An unfortunate combination of canker afflictions, tropical storms, and population increases created a trifecta that halted commercial lime production in Florida for good.

Now, lime trees grow in places like Mexico, Brazil, and Australia. Growing in such warm climates means there’s no need to drop leaves to go into a dormant period. This is the main reason why lime trees are evergreens.

That being said, homeowners can still grow lime trees in their yards if the conditions are right. Limes can also be planted indoors in pots.

Lime trees typically grow to about 20 feet. They love soaking up the sun and should be planted in well-drained soils. Lime trees can produce limes after their first year but produce more limes the older they are!

Lemon Trees Are Surprisingly Evergreen

Lemon trees like their environment the same way I do – never cold! They are one of the most cold-sensitive citrus trees and will not do well in any place that sees temperatures below freezing for more than a few hours.

A study published by ISHS looked at comparative cold tolerances between lemon trees, grapefruit trees, orange trees, and mandarin trees. When exposed to freezing temperatures for 10 hours, they found that lemon damage was the most severe of any other citrus tree.

Lemon trees originated in India and were brought to the United States around the late 1400s. According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, lemon trees were first cultivated in Florida and California in the US.

There are a few different varieties of lemon, some of the most popular including:

• Meyer lemon
• Ponderosa lemon
• Eureka lemon

Meyer lemons are the most cold-hardy of the lemons as they are thought to be a cross between a true lemon and a sweet orange. No matter what kind of lemon tree you have, you’ll want to make sure it’s protected in cold weather.

You can use a shrub jacket like Gardaner Plant Covers Freeze Protection & Plant Frost Blanket to keep your lemon trees warm during cold snaps. This product is 85” X 75” (W X H), perfect for small lemon trees!

Depending on the variety of lemon, it will bear fruit at different times of the year. For example, Meyer and Ponderosa lemons bear fruit in the fall and winter, while Eureka lemons bear fruit in the spring and summer.

Along those same lines, the shape of the fruit will depend on when the tree bears fruit. Summer-bearers like Eureka lemons will have a rounder shape while Meyer and Ponderosa will be more oblong because they produce in the winter.

Lemon trees are a little more difficult than other citrus trees to grow indoors, but it can be done! They have a very dependable growth and fruit-bearing timeline. In fact, They will produce fruit after about three years, and once the trees flower, it takes between 4 and 12 months for a lemon to develop.

In the United States, lemon trees are grown commercially in California, Arizona, and to a lesser extent, Florida.

If you’d like to learn more, take a look at our piece and breakdown of the full lemon tree growth timeline!

Yes, Even Mandarin Trees Are Evergreen!

Mandarins are one of the four ‘core’ ancestral citrus species according to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. All other citrus fruits were derived from mandarins along with citron, pomelo, and papeda.

Mandarins originated from China and are closely related to satsumas, clementines, and tangerines, all of which appear as small oranges. They were first established in New Orleans and eventually made their way to Florida and California.

According to Purdue University, Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi are the main states that grow mandarins. They also grow in Texas, Georgia, and California.

These tiny orange trees grow in similar conditions to their bigger cousins, preferring temperatures between 55℉ and 100℉. They will go through a dormant period and sometimes bear fruit in alternating years.

As with other citrus trees, there are a variety of different mandarines including:

• Changsha
• Emperor
• Willow-leaf

The Changsha mandarin is the most cold-hardy of the mandarins, surviving temperatures as low as 4℉ without perishing.

Other names for mandarin oranges include ‘cuties’ and ‘halo’ oranges, but these aren’t different varieties, just a nickname given to mandarins because of their small appearance and easy-to-peel skin.

Mandarin trees grow in hardiness zones 9 through 11 and will take about four years to bear fruit, depending on the variety. It takes a mandarin tree between six and eight months to develop a mandarin big enough to harvest.

Calamondin Trees Are Considered Evergreen

If you’ve never heard of calamondin fruit, don’t worry, you’re not the only one! Calamondin trees are grown more for their ornamental value than for any fruit they bear.

Calamondin trees grow acidic fruit that can be used similarly to lemons such as:

• Marmalade
• Frozen juice
• Beverage flavoring
• Calamondin-aide
• Cakes & Pies
• Squeezed over seafood

According to Texas A&M University, these trees will bloom and produce fruit all year long and go through 4 to 5 growth periods per year. In most cases, the tree will bear more fruit than you need.

Homeowners in hardiness zones 8A through 10B can enjoy these fruitful trees in their backyards. 

Calamondin trees originated in Southeast Asia and are a cross between a mandarin orange and a kumquat. Just like other citrus trees, calamondin can grow in all of the southern-most states of the United States and California.

However, because they are the most cold-tolerant of any true citrus tree, they can creep up into Arkansas, South and North Carolina, Coastal Virginia, Utah, Oregon, and Washington.

According to an article in the International Society for Horticultural Science, temperatures around 86℉ during the day and 77℉ at night promote the fastest blooming for calamondin trees.

These little trees also reach a full height of only 12 to 14 feet, making them the perfect patio plant if you keep them pruned

They prefer sunny conditions but can tolerate partial shade. Similarly, they prefer warm temperatures but will survive down to 20℉.

Like almost all citrus trees, calamondin trees will self-pollinate, meaning you only need to plant one tree to get fruit! Fruits take about a year to mature, but because the calamondin tree goes through so many different growth periods, you’ll have fruit at all different stages all year long.

When harvesting calamondins, it’s important to clip the twig the fruit is growing on as opposed to picking the fruit off. Picking can damage the calamondin, which can spoil them within a day. Use pruning shears like Fiskar’s Bypass Pruning Shears to get a clean cut and promote future growth!

Evergreen Grapefruit Trees

The grapefruit we see today is not at all what grapefruit looked like in the beginning. This fruit evolved as a mutation from the pummelo fruit and originally had white flesh, not red, and many seeds.

Now, this delicious fruit is near seedless with an orange peel and red flesh and is enjoyed in beverages, fruit cups, fruit salads, and eaten by itself at breakfast. 

Grapefruits were first described in Barbados of the Caribbean Islands. In the United States, grapefruits made their first appearance in Florida but quickly moved onto Texas, Arizona, and California.

Just like oranges, grapefruits grow in hardiness zones 9 to 11, meaning only in the extreme southern and southwestern states of the US.

There are several different varieties of grapefruits, some of the more popular being:

• Ruby Red
• Henderson
• Rio Red
• Duncan
• Redblush
• Marsh

According to Texas A&M University, grapefruits grow best during hot days and warm nights as opposed to hot days and cool nights. The secret is in the sugar content, which tends to be higher when grown on hot days and warm nights.

Grapefruit trees need well-drained soil for maximum growth and prefer full sun. They are not very cold tolerant but have been known to bounce back even after below-freezing temperatures. 

An article in the Journal of Food Chemistry found that chill injury can occur at temperatures as high as 53℉ but the damage was minor. At 35℉, the chill injury was far more severe.

Temperatures play an important role in determining the characteristics of a mature grapefruit. Colder temperatures and arid climates promote a tough peel, while humid, warm temperatures promote a thin peel.

Kumquat Trees Never Lose Their Leaves

Kumquat trees are one of the smallest evergreen citrus trees and are the smallest citrus fruit.

The trees only reach a height of about 8 to 10 feet. They’re used as ornamentals in many tropical and sub-tropical yards but also produce edible fruit!

The kumquat looks like a small orange and is very aromatic. It’s used in beverages and as toppings on food!

Like many citrus trees, the kumquat originated in China. Today, it is grown in hardiness zones 9-10, with most growth being in Florida, California, Alabama, and Louisiana. 

Kumquats are a peculiar citrus tree in that they can withstand very cold temperatures, down to 10℉. 

According to the University of Arizona, during this time the kumquat tree enters a state of dormancy and will remain in this state even after warm weather resumes for several weeks. That being said, kumquat trees prefer hot temperatures between 80℉ and 100℉.

Just like our other citrus fruits, kumquats have a few varieties with different characteristics:

• Meiwa
• Nagami
• Hong Kong

Kumquat trees are great to have as ornamental trees. They can sometimes produce fruit after the first year but in other instances can take 4 to 5 years before fruit can be harvested from the tree.

Tangerine Trees Keep Their Foliage Year Round

We may have misled you a little bit with this one. Tangerines are a type of mandarin, which we already talked about.

To break it down, mandarins include satsumas, tangerines, and hybrids like the tangelo. However, in some cultures, tangerines are a completely different fruit and are considered a different species.

Either way, tangerine trees prefer lots of sun and are slightly tolerant of cold temperatures. They can survive in zone 8 but do best in warmer, subtropical, and tropical climates.

Both the kumquat and the tangerine tree cannot be planted from seed. Instead, you’ll want to purchase one from a nursery that’s already been grafted onto a rootstock. From here, you can plant them in a pot if you live in colder climates or outside in warmer climates.

In the United States, most tangerine trees are located in Florida, California, Texas, Georgia, and Alabama. Because they are hardier than other citrus trees, they have a similar range to calamondins than to mandarins. Tangerines are originally from southeast Asia.

Pummelo Trees Are Evergreen

Opposite of the kumquat, the pummelo is the largest citrus fruit. The pummelo tree itself can grow up to 50ft tall but averages around 20 to 30 feet.

The pummelo tree is originally from Malaysia and Southeast Asia. It grows in hardiness zones 9 through 11 in the United States. Unsurprisingly, it is mostly cultivated in Florida and California. However, it can still thrive in all of the southernmost states of the U.S. as well.

Pummelo trees have a ton of variations, the list being longer than that of any citrus fruit tree. Some of the most well-known variations include:

• Chandler
• Double
• Hom Bai Toey
• Red Bantam
• Tahitian

According to Purdue University, pummelo trees prefer temperatures in the low 80s and enjoy being at low elevation, close to the sea. Pummelos can even tolerate salty, brackish water that gets pushed in by the tides.

In the United States, pummelo fruits grow ripe from November through February and can be picked in the spring. In more tropical regions, pummelos can produce up to 4 crops per year.

Pummelos can be grown from seed and grown indoors but they are one of the hardest citrus trees to grow indoors and require special lighting or a greenhouse to truly flourish.

Much like the mandarin, pummelos are one of the original citrus fruits that all others are derived from.

That’s All For Now!

There you have it. Nine citrus trees that are evergreens! Citrus trees produce sweet, sour, and sometimes bitter fruit that can be used in many dishes, beverages, and desserts.

Citrus trees are evergreen because they originated from warm, tropical climates where the threat of winter was nonexistent. Dropping leaves is a tree’s way of preserving energy in winter, but citrus trees do not have to do this because they do not experience winter.

Now for a quick recap –

The 9 most common citrus trees that are evergreens include:

• Oranges
• Limes
• Lemons
• Mandarins
• Calamondins
• Grapefruits
• Kumquats
• Tangerines
• Pummelos

Most citrus trees grow in the southern-most states of the U.S., particularly Florida, California, Texas, Alabama, and Louisiana. However, some can be grown in colder regions if grown indoors in pots.

Best of luck on your fruit tree journey!

References

Conesa, A., Nicolas, J. M., Manera, F. J., & Porras, I. (2015). Frost Damage in Lemon Orchards In The Province of Murcia. International Society for Horticultural Science, 1065, 1417-1422.

Lado, J., Gurrea, A., Zacarias, L., & Rodrigo, M. J. (2019, October 15). Influence of the storage temperature on volatile emission, carotenoid content, and chilling injury development in Star Ruby red grapefruit. Food Chemistry, 295, 72-81.

Lai, Y.-T., & Chen, L.-Z. (2008). Effect Of Temperature On Calamondin (Citrus microcarpa) Flowering And Flower Bud Formation. International Society for Horticultural Science, 773, 111-115.

Pollack, S. L., Lin, B.-H., & Allshouse, J. (2003, August). Characteristics of U.S. Orange Consumption. Electronic Outlook Report from the Economic Research Service, 305(01), 1-17.