PoPville » Sweet – A Kumquat Tree!

PoPville is the District's #1 website for quality of life, real estate, local business and neighborhood news.

Neighborhoods

Adams Morgan Capitol Hill Columbia Heights H St. NE Logan CircleSee More

Visit the Forum >>
Visit the Classifieds >>

NEWER POST

Ridiculously Awesome Album Cover of the Week

OLDER POST

House of the Day

Sweet – A Kumquat Tree!

Admittedly I have a strange obsession with fruit trees in the city. This is the first Kumquat tree I’ve ever seen. It’s from 15th St, NW. The “mini oranges” are kumquats right?

Category: Trees

By: Prince Of Petworth | 03 May 2012 10:01 PM | 9 Comments

squid

I don’t think they’re kumquats (too big and round), but some other kind of mini citrus. Sweet either way!

May 3, 2012 at 11:46 pm
soozles

Kumquats are smaller and not really round. They also have a softer skin that you can eat without peeling. I think my grandmother had one in her yard in central Florida.

May 4, 2012 at 12:06 am
Suzyq

Looks like a Meyer lemon tree. Yum!

May 4, 2012 at 7:19 am
- classic_six
  
  Yep, I doubt this is a kumquat tree, unless the close-up is magnified but still the shape of the fruit doesn’t say kumquat. At first, my guess was a meyer lemon tree, but I’m wondering if they are a tad too orange for a meyer lemon. Yes, I know what meyer lemons look like. While the tree produces fruit year-long, the fruit is harvested in the winter and these look fairly mature if the tree had been harvested during the winter or they look too healthy for being on the tree at this stage of the year if they were not harvested. There are so many citrus breedings that this could be one of many different orange tree varieties out there today. No matter, it’s a wonderful and sweet image. Love
  
  May 4, 2012 at 9:53 am
o2bncdg

I think this is a Calamondin Orange. The Washington Post did an article about them a few weeks ago. We’ve had one for over 30 years. It comes inside in the winter and goes out on the balcony in the summer. Check this: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home-garden/calamondin-orange-the-best-behaved-citrus-tree/2012/04/03/gIQAzMm5uS_story.html

May 4, 2012 at 7:36 am
bdale Res

I agree with other posters, look too big to be kumquats. I am curious how they are keeping this tree alive outside through the winters.

I actually have a kumquat tree in my backyard here in DC, but it is potted and bring in the house during the winter months. The fruits are delicious and the blossoms fragrant.

May 4, 2012 at 10:15 am
- classic_six
  
  It probably would have been alright this year, this past winter, in DC, as it was not really winter-like. Good question, though, as typically these citrus trees are grown in places such as Florida and California, where they don’t tend to winter and when they do get freezes, it’s a bad year for the citrus growers/crops. You could cover them and do supplemental heating, which may give them some protection but citrus trees are not recommended, in terms of hardiness, for the DC area.
  
  May 4, 2012 at 10:25 am
ah

PoP would make a good match for Brenda.

May 4, 2012 at 10:28 am
jcm

Is it in a container that’s half buried? Does it come inside for the winter? I have a Meyer lemon in a container that I bring inside, but mine isn’t half as healthy this tree (which I’m 90% sure is an orange, not a Meyer).. In fact, I very nearly killed it last year. I would love to speak with the gardener. He/she clearly knows citrus.

May 4, 2012 at 11:04 am