Practical
Plants

Poncirus trifoliata

Bitter Orange

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Poncirus genus in the family Rutaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Rutaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
slow
Height
3 m
Spread
3 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

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

Fruit - cooked. A bitter and acrid flavour, but it can be used to make a marmalade[21][4][2]. The fruit is also used to make a refreshing drink[23][11]. The freshly picked fruit yields little juice but if stored for 2 weeks it will yield about 20% juice[11], which is rich in vitamin C. Yields of up to 14 kilos of fruit per plant have been achieved in America[7]. The fruit is 2 - 3cm wide[13], though most of this is the skin[K]. The fruit peel can be used as a flavouring[11]. Young leaves - cooked[11].

Product or use
Condiment
Plant part
Fruit
Plant part
Leaves

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

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

The thorns are used in the treatment of toothache[16]. The stem bark is used in the treatment of colds[16]. The fruits contain a number of medically active constituents including flavonoids, coumarins, monoterpenes and alkaloids[19]. The fruit, with the endocarp and seeds removed, is carminative, deobstruent and expectorant[8]. It is used in the treatment of dyspepsia, constipation and abdominal distension, stuffy sensation in the chest, prolapse of the uterus, rectum and stomach[8]. It is milder in effect than the immature fruit and is better used for removing stagnancy of food and vital energy in the spleen and stomach[8]. The unripe fruit is antidiarrheic, antiemetic, antispasmodic, deobstruent, digestive, diuretic, laxative, stimulant, stomachic and vasoconstrictor[6][8][9][16]. It is used in the treatment of dyspepsia, constipation and abdominal distension, stuffy sensation in the chest, prolapse of the uterus, rectum and stomach, shock[8].

Product or use
Antiemetic
Product or use
Antispasmodic
Product or use
Carminative
Product or use
Deobstruent
Product or use
Digestive
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Expectorant
Product or use
Laxative
Product or use
Odontalgic
Product or use
Stimulant
Product or use
Stomachic
Product or use
Vasoconstrictor

Material uses

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

Used as a rootstock for Citrus species (oranges, lemons etc)[2][7]. It confers an extra 3°c resistance to the cold[7]. The plant is very thorny and makes an excellent impenetrable barrier or hedge[21][4][20], though this barrier is not very dense[K]. The plants are very tolerant of pruning[10], they are best clipped in early summer shortly after flowering[14][18].

Environment

Range
E. Asia - C. and S. China, Korea.
Habitat
Hedgerows[3]. Woods in mountains and hills in Korea[19].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
very acid, acid, neutral, alkaline, very 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 cold frame[14]. Cold stratify stored seed for 4 weeks and sow early spring in a greenhouse[5]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, June/July in a frame[1].

Cultivation

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

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in an ordinary garden soil[1], preferably well-drained[10], but prefers a fertile light sandy soil in a sunny position[4][14]. A plant is growing and fruiting well in light woodland shade at Cambridge Botanical Gardens[K]. Plants dislike soil cultivation close to their roots and so should either be well mulched to prevent weed growth, or hand weeded[15]. Succeeds in poor acid soils[17]. Plants also succeed in chalk-laden soils[18]. Hardy to about -15°c[12]. Plants have survived -30°c of frost without injury according to one report[4]. The bitter orange hybridizes with Citrus species and could possibly be used in breeding programmes to produce hardier forms of oranges, lemons etc[23][7]. It could also be of value in conferring disease resistance, tolerance of poorer soils and dwarfing characteristics. The flowers are produced on the previous years wood[14]. The whole plant, but especially the flowers[15], is strongly aromatic[10]. A very ornamental plant[1][4], the fruits are freely formed in south-western Britain[4][22]. A hedge at Wisley in a semi-shaded position fruits heavily in most years[K]. Another report says that warm autumns are required if the plant is to fruit freely. Fertile seed is produced after warm summers[10]. Plants are relatively short-lived, deteriorating after about 25 years[15].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Wilson. E. H. Plantae Wilsonae.

    ↩

  4. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  5. Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009

    ↩

  6. ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X

    ↩

  7. Natural Food Institute, Wonder Crops. 1987.

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  8. Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  9. Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre

    ↩

  10. Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  12. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30258-2

    ↩

  13. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  15. Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-670-82929-3

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  17. Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980-00-00 ISBN 0442238622

    ↩

  18. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩1↩2

  19. Medicinal Plants in the Republic of Korea World Health Organisation, Manila 1998-00-00 ISBN 92 9061 120 0

    ↩1↩2

  20. Shepherd. F.W. Hedges and Screens. Royal Horticultural Society. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0900629649

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

  22. Thurston. Trees and Shrubs in Cornwall.

    ↩

  23. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2

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