Cocktail Semi-Dwarf Grapefruit Tree

Yes, the name is a bit of a mouthful, but when you take a mouthful of this unique fruit, you won’t be caring about the name – just how delicious it tastes. Wrapped up in the thin orange skin are delicious segments of juicy fruit, with a mild, low-acidity flavor that will delight everyone in the family. More correctly called a Mandelo, it isn’t really even a grapefruit, but a hybrid citrus that is half sweet pomelo, a quarter mandarin, and a quarter tangerine. That tasty combination makes a fantastic home citrus, and something we guarantee you won’t find at the grocery store. As for the tree itself, it will grow in the garden in zones 9 and 10, making a tree 10 to 15 feet tall and wide. For everyone else it makes a terrific potted tree, growing 6 or 8 feet tall, and perfect for growing outdoors from spring to fall, spending winter indoors. The handsome evergreen foliage is glossy and deep green, and this tree is self-fertile, so fruits well on its own. Fragrant white flowers come in spring, followed by orange to grapefruit-sized fruits that can be picked from November to February, hanging on the tree until you need them. Get ready for a cocktail of delights with this unique citrus tree.

• Orange fruits up to the size of a grapefruit
• Delicious low-acidity, juicy segments
• Ripens from November to February
• Small tree in the garden in zones 9 and 10
• Compact and great for a pot in cooler zones

Grow the Cocktail Semi-Dwarf Grapefruit Tree in full sun, or in a bright, cool place when indoors for winter. Plant outdoors in any well-drained soil, and in pots in a potting soil blended for citrus trees. Keep pots outdoors when temperatures are above 40 degrees, and indoors during cold weather. Fertilize potted trees regularly during the growing season. If plants bloom indoors, pollinate by transferring pollen from one flower to another with a soft artist’s brush. Deer resistant, and although prone to some pests, these are greatly reduced if trees spend most of the year outdoors, and in a cool room for winter. Avoid growing indoors in hot, dry rooms.