| Pummelo | |
| Citrus maxima | |
| a.k.a. Pommelo, Pomelo |
The largest citrus in the world, the pummelo can reach 12" in diameter. Skin is usually yellow, with white or pinkish colored flesh. Flavor is excellent, sweetish-acidic.
Description: Small
to medium sized tree, usually only 10-20ft high, but may grow to 50ft
under ideal conditions.
Trees can flower up to four times a year.
Hardiness: Hardy to some frost.
Growing Environment: The pummelo is frost hardy, but grows best in
warmer climates with lots of rainfall. It is an ideal choice for tropical
zones, but also grows well in subtropical climates. Pummelo's do quite
well in Florida and California. Trees also grow well in swampy damp
soil and are often found growing wild along river banks and streams.
Propagation: Commonly by seed which usually produce trees very
near in fruit quality to their parent, but named varieties are propagated
through grafts.
Uses: Commonly eaten fresh much like the grapefruit. The fruit is also squeezed for its juice. see also: nutrition facts
Native Range: Native to southeast Asia and a number of Pacific Islands. It is grown commercially in Asia, and on a small, but growing scale in the United States.