Practical
Plants

Fortunella margarita

Oval Kumquat

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Fortunella genus in the family Rutaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Rutaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
3 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - raw or cooked[1]. They can also be used in jellies, preserves etc or as a flavouring[1]. The whole fruit, rind as well, is eaten raw. It is best to first squeeze and massage the fruit in order to combine the flavours of the flesh and the rind[1]. After ripening the fruit gradually loses water content, becomes richer in flavour and is then at its best for making preserves[1]. The fruit is up to 4cm in diameter[2]. The fruit is rich in pectin, the inner peel containing about 10%[3].

Plant part
Fruit
Product or use
Pectin

Environment

Range
E. Asia - S. China.
Habitat
Not known
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a warm airy position in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick out the seedlings into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first two winters. Plant out in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts and give some winter protection from the cold for a year or two.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a moderately heavy loam with a generous amount of compost and sand added and a very sunny position[2]. Prefers a pH of 5 to 6[2]. Plants are intolerant of water logging[2]. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, when dormant it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[2]. The young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender and so it is best to grow the plants in a position sheltered from the early morning sun[K]. Kumquats are sometimes cultivated in China for their edible fruit, there are some named varieties[2]. They are hardier than the various Citrus species since they cease growth when temperatures drop below 13°c but, for best results, they are best grown in a climate where temperatures do not fall lower than between 4 and 10°c[4]. This is because the fruit is sweeter when it ripens in warm conditions[4].

References

  1. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  2. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  3. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩

  4. Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-7153-5531-7

    ↩1↩2

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