Is bitter orange an evergreen or deciduous plant?

Bitter orange is a small tree of the Rutaceae family, with sour flesh, sometimes bitter or with a distinctive odor as well, and many large seeds, so is bitter orange evergreen or deciduous?

1. Growth habits of bitter orange

Bitter orange is also called zhike, bitter orange, and likes warm and humid climatic conditions with abundant rainfall and sufficient sunlight, generally growing well at an annual average temperature above 15°C. Bitter orange has a relatively wide adaptability to soil, and can be cultivated in both red and yellow soils, with neutral sandy loam being the most ideal, while overly clayey soil is not suitable for cultivation.

Bitter orange is mainly distributed in the Yangtze River basin of China and the provinces and regions to the south, and can be grafted every year in February, May-June, and September-October.

Generally, air layering or grafted seedlings begin to flower and fruit 4-5 years after planting, while seed-propagated plants begin only 8-10 years after planting, and the fruiting period of the tree can last more than 50 years.

2. Is bitter orange evergreen or deciduous?

Bitter orange is an evergreen plant, belonging to the Rutaceae family and the Citrus genus, and is native to various places south of the southern slope of the Qinling Mountains in China. Besides being used for its fruit, bitter orange is also widely used as a rootstock for grafting sweet orange and mandarin-type citrus.

3. Types of bitter orange

1. Goutou bitter orange

Also called pitou bitter orange and large yellow bitter orange. The main producing area is in the Huangyan area of Zhejiang. It has a well-developed root system, is drought-tolerant and salt-alkali-tolerant, and after grafting the tree is large, long-lived, sheds few leaves in winter, and has high yield, making it an excellent rootstock for grafting citrus. The flesh is very sour and has a distinctive odor; the seeds are numerous, with their tops slightly hooked.

2. Zhuluan

Also called xiangluan and suanluan. Mainly produced in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. It is also used as a rootstock. The unripe fruit is used medicinally as a substitute for zhishi or zhike. The fruit resembles a small red orange but is larger, orange-red, with a hollow or semi-filled core, and the flesh is sour with no off-flavor.

3. Daidai bitter orange

The fruit is nearly round, with a shallow radial groove at the top, a thickened fleshy calyx, an orange-red peel that is slightly rough with large oil cells and an uneven surface, a filled core, and sour flesh. The main producing area is in Zhejiang. The flowers are fragrant, and when used to scent tea they are called daidai flower tea.