Citrus are beloved subtropical fruits that originated in Asia but have been cultivated for thousands of years by diverse cultures. They are loved for their evergreen foliage, sweetly fragrant flowers, and their production of beautiful and tasty fruits including lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits, mandarins, kumquats, & more. Most citrus are hardy to zone 9 withstanding light frosts but not full winter cold snaps. However, a few citrus have been proven hardy outdoors in coastal BC and produce fruit if provided with proper conditions. Most of our citrus is grafted onto C-35 (or sometimes Poncirus) rootstock offering good production, cold tolerance, and semi-dwarfing.

There are a number of citrus that are hardy outside in protected situations in coastal BC and have survived our worst cold snaps. The best known are the ‘Owari’ satsuma mandarin orange, the ‘Nagami’ and ‘Nordmann’ kumquats, the trifoliate orange (Poncirus), the foodie favourites yuzu and sudachi, and the hardy grapefruit or citrumelo. There are also numerous other new cultivars that are just becoming available and which we are pleased to offer including the ‘Ichang Lemon’, the ‘Nasnaran’, ‘Miho Wase’, and ‘Okitsu Wase’ mandarins, and the ‘Citradia’, ‘Troyer’, and ‘US 119’ oranges, among others!

While these trees are not hardy beyond zone 7 or 8, depending on the cultivar, they are still a benefit to gardeners in colder zones. These citrus will be easier to overwinter as they require less heat to survive in sunrooms or greenhouses.

Once mature and sited in good conditions, these hardy plants will flower in spring and summer and produce fruit that is usually ready for harvest in the winter or the following spring or summer. For instance, ‘Owari’ satsumas can be harvested between Christmas and Chinese New Year, right here in Richmond, BC!

Despite their cold tolerance, hardy citrus are still subtropical plants and should be sited carefully in the garden for best results. Some gardeners have assumed they can be planted out in the middle of the garden like any fruit tree and, consequently, have not had good overwintering success or fruiting results. Hardy citrus should be sited in warm, sunny locations, especially against south- and west-facing walls, fences or other features that will protect them from winter winds and rain and provide a warmer microclimate during the growing season to increase fruit production and sweetness. Overhead protection from winter rain is highly recommended. Plant under the eaves of the house, beneath the boughs of a conifer tree, or erect a makeshift roof over your citrus in October each year.

Remember that the zone hardiness and temperature tolerance listings are for mature plants. Young plants will not be as hardy as when they reach full size, since they can freeze faster and have less resources to withstand a cold snap. Until plants reach a mature size they should be mulched with a foot of leaves around their trunks each fall and covered with a plastic tent or teepee in the event of a cold snap. Putting an old string of non-LED Christmas lights or a flood light inside the tent should be enough to take the edge off the cold.

Hardy citrus are rewarding, fragrant, and delicious and make beautiful specimens in the garden and on the patio with their shiny, subtropical leaves. With just a little extra care they can produce delicious fruit outdoors in coastal BC and provide excellent opportunities to brag to your friends on social media or when you serve them drinks, dishes, and desserts made with your very own citrus fruit grown in your very own garden!

Here are the hardy and potentially hardy citrus varieties that we offer in the Great Citrus & Rare Fruit Pre-Order and the Fall Citrus Pre-Order in most years (in both cases for pick-up or shipping) and for in-person shopping at the nursery through the gardening season:

Give Your Perennial Garden a Phoenix Perennials Touch.

At Phoenix Perennials, our offerings span over 5000 different plants available for in-person shopping at our garden centre and plant nursery in Richmond, British Columbia. Additionally, we annually offer more than 2500 different plants for mail-order shipping across Canada. Stay connected with our diverse offerings by signing up for our E-Newsletter and Alerts – your key to staying informed about our mail order and pre-order launches. Happy gardening!