The Dancy Tangerine

The Dancy Tangerine rind is deep reddish-orange, thin and easily removed. The juice is rich and sweet. Dancy's have a moderate amount of seeds. Dancy Tangerines are available from mid December through January although mine doesn't have any fruit on it this year.  I purchased this plant back in August and put it in a pot.  It looks like every other citrus plant....evergreen and upright.

It's one of the few citrus that look good in pots as it is a smaller tree/bush.  So just like the kumquat, I put it in a pot....for now.  This is a great fruit that can be picked off the tree during this time of year....easily peeled and if you pick it in the morning here in Tucson, it makes a nice cold breakfast treat.  I've always loved this fruit because it's so easy to peel.  My friend has one in her neighbor's yard:) The problem is that there is a wall to get to it!  We carpool together and the first thing I do this time of year is head over to her wall and try and pick the fruit from the other side.  You may be thinking that this act is theft....well depends at how you look at it. The neighbors are always different renters who never pick the fruit off the tree even though they say they will. After a year of this and watching that beautiful fruit go to waste, we made a pact to make sure every delicious tangerine would be appreciated.  The renters haven't noticed at all, but there is a sad part to this story....because renters have come and gone, the tree is in decline and is not looking so well. My friend is currently watering the plant from her side so that it won't die.  The fruit is THAT good! So I finally purchased this fruit tree for El Presidio gardens.  It will eventually go into the ground and I highly recommend this plant. As for the freeze in the garden the past several nights....well the good news is that the citrus plants have survived!  That includes the Meyer's Lemon and Bearr's Lime!  I was worried about the both of them,  but everyone is doing well.  The cactus took a hit around the place, but that is easily fixed and not as costly as the citrus.

Currently on the property, we have a blood orange, tangelo, lemon, lime, kumquat, grapefruit, and calamondin.  A what? Calamondin?  Yeah I don't know either...it's just a pretty variegated variety that has interesting fruit.  I tried one and spit it out....nasty. I'm not sure what they're good for but I'll find out.  In Spring, because the courtyard is closed off, the citrus blooms are trapped inside and make this place smell incredible! Talk about making your neighbor's smile(unless they have allergies:)Then the fruit begins to grow:) Citrus are fairly easy to grow in Tucson....you just need to watch the hard freezes while the plants are young. They are great plants because they are green all year and add a lot of different elements in the garden.  Pros. Green plant.  Smell.  Fruit.  Catepillar food for the swallowtail butterfly increasing butterfly populations. Shade. And low on the water budget depending on your location.  Cons.  If you don't pick the fruit off the tree, it will drop and make a mess.  Also some citrus have thorns on their branches so be careful.  Until next time, happy gardening!