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Mystery fruit looks like fuzzy navels

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED SEP 4, 2020

Notice the three-part leaves on this citrus tree. They are a clue to its identity. (Photo courtesy Allen Pierleoni)

Citrus rootstock sprouts a trifoliate orange tree

“What’s growing over my fence?”

That’s a common question from many gardeners, one that I ask myself sometimes, too.

In the case of fruit, it comes with a corollary: “Can I eat it?”

Such is the case of this mystery fruit, spotted by a loyal reader in Fair Oaks. He pondered whether he was going to get some bonus citrus – or should cut the branches back.

“The skin is slightly velvety, the plant is growing next to a grapefruit tree. Unusual leaves, no?” he wrote in a note with his photo of what looked like fuzzy navels.

All three observations were clues to the mystery fruit’s identity – plus one more. Look out for those great big thorns.

The fruit is a trifoliate orange ( Citrus trifoliata ), also known as Japanese bitter orange or Chinese bitter orange. And it sprouted from the rootstock of the grapefruit tree.

Allowed to grow and thrive, the trifoliate orange is forming its own tree – and could crowd out the grapefruit grafted on its roots.

Trifoliate orange – named for those three-part leaves – is among the most cold-hardy citrus. So, it’s often used as rootstock to give tender grapefruit and other citrus a little more cold tolerance (especially in Northern California).

The fruit is covered with soft down. Usually packed with seeds, it eventually ripens to yellow and looks like a small orange but with skin that feels like a peach.

As for taste, it lives up to its bitter nickname.

My advice: Get out the pruning shears.

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garden mystery citrus gardening Sacramento Fair Oaks backyard produce rootstock home orchard

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Garden Checklist for week of May 5

Survey your garden after the May 4 rainstorm. Heavy rain and gusty winds can break the neck of large flowers such as roses. Also:

* Keep an eye on new transplants or seedlings; they could take a pounding from the rain.

* Watch out for powdery mildew. Warmth following moist conditions can cause this fungal disease to “bloom,” too. If you see a leaf that looks like it’s dusted with powdered sugar, snip it off.

* After the storm, start setting out tomato transplants, but wait on the peppers and eggplants (they want warmer nights). Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.

* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.

* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.

* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, radishes and squash.

* Plant onion sets.

* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias. Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.

* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom.

* Don’t wait; plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Harvest cabbage, lettuce, peas and green onions.

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