Trifolate Orange TREES & SEEDS

Trifoliate Orange Citrus trifoliata

Please note this species has been labeled as invasive in many south eastern states. We will not sell/ship trifoliate orange trees or seeds to states where it is classified as invasive. 

Trifoliate is an interesting citrus tree known for its cold hardiness. The trees are known to survive down to USDA hardiness zone 6. Trifoliate orange trees produce a small fruit that is not great for fresh consumption but is an amazing cooking ingredient. These fruits can be prepared in various ways. We have used the fruit as a replacement for lemon in various dressings, dips, and brines. The fruit smells amazing and is loaded with many seeds. 

Trifoliate can be used as a root stock for other citrus species. When used as a root stock trifoliate orange trees confer some cold hardiness to the grafted citrus variety. They make an excellent choice for a potted fruit tree to be kept on a deck or indoors. 

Typically maxing out between 13-26 feet some would consider these more of a shrub than a tree. The trees will often lose their leaves in the dormant season. Trifoliate have very large and formidable thorns. The thorns and stems remain green all year round providing a nice splash of color in winter. 

Do note that these trees are from Asia and care should be used when selecting a site. They are known to spread by seed in some areas and due to their thorns can become a barrier to humans and wildlife. They can grow in sunny & shady conditions. We recommend collecting all of the fruit so as to prevent the seeds from spreading throughout the environment even in zones where this plant is not considered invasive.  

These plants are easy to grow from seed. We have always kept the seed in cold stratification in the fridge before planting but I am not sure if that is a necessary step. Our seed ships slightly damp as they are currently being stored in the fridge in stratification conditions.