After a long hot season it’s always gratifying to see the citrus coloring up in the garden. And, equally satisfying to know that most of them will keep for a long time on the tree if I don’t feel like using them all at once. One of my favorites is the ‘Tango’ tangerine, which never fails to produce a good crop of seedless fruit that ripen through the winter.
Not everyone in the Southwest feels like they are in a “citrus zone” but there are some surprisingly hardy hybrids out there if you do some searching online. If you’ve had some failed attempts in the past, try looking for Citrumello ‘Dallas’, Citrus reticulata ‘Changsha’, or Citrus hybrid ‘Calamandarin’.  While edibility right off the tree varies, some are perfect for processing, juice, or marmalade, and all are just fun to grow! Please share your experience if you’ve had good luck with citrus in a less-than-ideal zone.