Types of Citrus Trees – Varieties of Citrus
The orange is one of the most popular fruits in the world. Learn more about citrus tree types, including oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and more. Some are sweet, some are sour, and others add a unique flavor not found anywhere else.
One of the three original Washington navel oranges planted in 1873 still produces fruit in Riverside, California. Learn more about different citrus tree types, and choose the right one for your yard. Yours may not last 150 years, but a citrus tree can be a great addition to your yard for years to come!
30 Different Types of Citrus
Washington Navel
One of the most popular varieties.
Ripens mid-season.
Best eaten fresh. Large, good-quality fruit is seedless and easy to peel. Sensitive to heat.
Cara Cara Navel
Seedless crimson flesh (similar to red grapefruit).
Ripens early winter.
Rich sweet flavor is similar to other navel varieties.
Lane late navel
Newer Australian variety.
Ripens beginning in January and can be harvested later than other navels.
Sometimes called a summer navel.
DILLER SWEET ORANGE
Originated in Arizona.
Small to medium fruit with few seeds. Trees produce lots of fruit.
Excellent for juicing.
MACETERA SWEET ORANGE
Average size thin-skinned fruit with seeds. Excellent for juicing.
Ripens early in the season.
Large tree with thorns.
TROVITA SWEET ORANGE
Most popular sweet orange. Produces well in Arizona’s low desert.
Excellent for juicing.
Medium to large fruit with 6-10 seeds per fruit.
Midknight Valencia
Summer ripening, sweeter than average Valencia.
Excellent eating and juicing orange.
Seedless type of citrus tree.
Moro Blood orange
Spring ripening, with tart berry-like flavor.
Distinct purple color even in warmer areas.
sanguinelli blood orange
Spring ripening with tart spicy flavor.
Blood red juice and red-tinted rind develop best in hot dry summers followed by a cold winter.
Stores well on tree.
OWARI SATSUMA MANDARIN
Early ripening (November-December) mandarin.
Less seeds than most mandarins.
Slow-growing, but hardiest of all mandarins.
clementine (Algerian) Mandarin
Early ripening (November) tart fruit.
Small to medium fruit.
Cross-pollination of multiple trees increases yield and seeds.
daisy mandarin
Early season very sweet-flavored mandarin.
Medium to large fruit, 0-5 seeds.
Small type of citrus tree.
Rio Red Grapefruit
Most cold-hardy of all grapefruit.
Large fruit with few seeds. Dark pink flesh. Skin can take on pink tint as well.
Pick fruit beginning in December and harvest until heat of summer.
oro blanco (grapefruit-pummelo Hybrid)
Harvest in winter.
Sweet fruit even in mild climates. Thick peel.
Fragrant blooms and large glossy green leaves.
marsh seedless grapefruit
Most common white grapefruit in low desert.
Begin harvesting in December. Fruit tastes best from March – May.
Large with few seeds and white flesh.
sarawak tahitIan pummelo
Small tree. Thinner skin than most pummelos.
Seedy, slightly tart and juicy.
chandler Pummelo
Firm, pink flesh with good flavor.
Large tree with glossy leaves and large, fragrant blossoms.
Early ripening.
ponderosa lemon
Probably a cross between a lemon and a citron.
Often grown as an ornamental tree.
Very large acidic fruit has thick peel.
eureka lemon
Large, vigorous, thornless tree.
Lemon is rough-rinded with less pronounced nipple.
Classic lemon, good quality fruit.
meyer lemon
Improved varieties are virus-free and safe for home garden.
Fragrant blossoms and thin-skinned, lemons. Juicy fruit has less acid than other lemons.
Large shrub or small tree.
lisbon lemon
Medium-sized fruit with traditional tart lemon flavor.
More prominent nipple and smoother skin than Eureka lemon.
Like all lemons, more frost-sensitive than other citrus.
pink eureka lemon
Variegated leaves, with pink blossoms and new foliage.
Pale pink flesh with clear juice.
One of the few variegated types of citrus trees.
kiEffEr lime – citrus hystrix
Distinctively shaped double leaves.
Aromatic leaves used in Thai cooking, soups and curry.
Bumpy, rough green fruit ripens to yellow.
bearSs (tahitiAN) lime
Fruit ripens in June.
Larger fruit than Mexican lime.
Juicy and seedless lime.
All limes are extremely frost sensitive.
mexican key lime
Ripens in September.
Smaller fruit than Bearss lime.
Flavorful and juicy, with some seeds.
All limes are extremely frost sensitive.
buddhA’s hand
Finger-like sections of fruit resemble a human hand.
Distinct fruit in the citron family.
Consists only of rind; no juice, pulp or seeds.
ETROG CITRON
Looks like a large, knobby, ribbed lemon.
Very thick rind and aromatic skin.
The rind and oil are the most commonly used parts of the fruit.
calamondin
Cross between mandarin and kumquat.
Excellent in containers.
Cold-hardy to about 20°F.
Prolific tart fruit can be eaten whole.
nagami kumquat
Oblong, acidic, bright orange fruit.
Cold-hardy to about 18°F.
Often grown as a decorative or ornamental type of citrus tree.
Fukushu Kumquat
Small, sweet, brightly-colored orange fruit can be eaten whole.
Small tree with dark foliage.
Excellent container or ornamental plant.
Questions about growing citrus? This article answers 10 questions about how to grow citrus and includes guidelines for selecting, planting, watering, and fertilizing citrus.
Trying to decide which citrus to plant? This article gives ideas to narrow your search for the right type.
Have questions about planting, watering or fertilizing citrus? Listen to this Encyclopedia Botanica podcast I was a guest expert on with Hilary from Seattleurbanfarmco.com.
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Thanks, I’m so glad it was helpful!
Thank you so much for this incredibly helpful post! I’m trying to choose one of the 3 varieties of blood orange trees: Moro, Tarocco, or Sanguinello/i. If you could have just one (we don’t have room for more!) and the oranges were for eating, which one? To give an idea of what pleases my taste buds: I normally prefer navel oranges we buy at the store (not sure which variety is usually sold), and I don’t like the thin-skinned, quite seedy oranges my in-laws have on their orange tree (variety unknown). We’re local, located in North Phoenix.
I would really try to go to a local nursery like Greenfield Citrus Nursery, they may have samples in the store you could purchase. My favorite is the Sanguinello.
Thank you so much, Angela! I’m deciding between Sanguinello and Tarocco. We’ll try to make it to Greenfield Citrus Nursery this weekend and see if they can help us to narrow it down.
Until the February 14, 2021 freeze in Houston, I used to have a 30+ year old citrus that produced a fruit that was the size between a grapefruit and a pummelo. The rind was yellow like the grapefruit but smoother. The flesh inside was a lite pink to light salmon color. This fruit made the wolds best juice for drinking and cocktails. I have searched the internet to try and figure out what variety this tree was and I am not having any luck. Have you heard of such a fruit with this description? Many thanks
I’m sorry you lost your tree. That freeze has had so many far reaching effects. I’m not sure what type that would be, it sounds delicious.
I love your blog! It is my go to resource for gardening. I’m going to be buying some citrus soon and I’m trying to find one that is ripe later in the season, has few to no seeds, is good for eating (similar to Washington navel: sweet, easy to peel, and section). We are planning to go to greenfield nursery and they recommend Macetera as the later season eating orange, but you didn’t seem to speak highly of it. I’d really love to hear more about the Macetera and what longer season eating orange you recommend for my navel loving family.
The others you listed that sounded like they might be good are late lane and midnight Valencia. Where did you find those and what is their harvest window?
I would definitely follow Greenfield nursery’s recommendation. They are an excellent grower. The nice thing about purchasing this time of year is you can sample the fruit and decide if you like it.