The Tropical Fruit Forum

Citrus => Cold Hardy Citrus => Topic started by: Citradia on July 09, 2016, 10:07:16 PM

Title: Do satsuma seedlings have thorns?
Post by: Citradia on July 09, 2016, 10:07:16 PM

In reference to a post on the topic of satsuma cuttings, do satsuma seedlings have thorns? According to Tom Mcclendon's book, Hardy Citrus for the Southeast, "Satsuma (citrus reticulata) is really a class of mandarins". We all know that mandarin seedlings are very thorny, like most citrus. I've only seen grafted satsumas, Kimbrough, owari, St Anne, etc, which of course is mature fruiting thornless wood grafted onto a rootstock. Has anyone grown a seed from one of these "seedless" sats and got a seedling satsuma tree with thorns? Maybe thornless seedlings is a difference between "satsuma" and its reticulata sister "mandarin".

Title: Re: Do satsuma seedlings have thorns?
Post by: Ilya11 on July 10, 2016, 02:01:43 PM

Mandarins is very heterogeneous group, in my experience Owari and Early StAnne seedlings do not have thorns at all.

Title: Re: Do satsuma seedlings have thorns?
Post by: Citradia on July 10, 2016, 06:39:04 PM

Thanks Ilya! Very interesting.

Title: Re: Do satsuma seedlings have thorns?
Post by: Kevin Jones on August 24, 2016, 04:44:34 PM

I've grown many Owari seedlings from my grafted Owari mother plant.
All have been thorny. Very Thorny.