'Owari' Satsuma Mandarin

Owari Satsuma Mandarin is an exceptional early-ripening citrus, prized for its sweet, juicy fruit, reliable production and impressive cold tolerance. Satsumas are a type of mandarin, and Owari is often considered one of the best, producing good crops of deep orange fruit with thin, loose skin that is exceptionally easy to peel. The tender, sweet flesh is of excellent quality and normally seedless or nearly seedless. Owari is strongly parthenocarpic, allowing it to set fruit without pollination and contributing to its low number of seeds. The fruit is delicious eaten fresh and can also be used for juice, preserves, salads, desserts and cooking.

Owari is particularly well suited to cooler climates because satsumas require less summer heat to mature their fruit than many other mandarins. It is one of the more cold-hardy edible citrus, with mature, fully dormant trees capable of tolerating brief temperatures around -10°C under favourable conditions, although young trees and container-grown plants should be protected from hard freezes.

Naturally compact, Owari has lush, dark green evergreen foliage and abundant fragrant white flowers. Its manageable size, cold hardiness and ability to produce excellent fruit with relatively little heat make it an outstanding citrus for container growing.

Common names: Owari Satsuma, Owari Satsuma Mandarin, Owari Mandarin

Edible: Fruit
Harvest timing: Early-season (late fall - early winter)

Scientific name: Citrus unshiu 'Owari'
Light requirements: Full sun 
Full-grown size: 8-12' x 8-12' (smaller in containers or with pruning)
Hardiness: Zone 8b
Pollination: Self-fertile and strongly parthenocarpic (sets fruit without pollination).
Wildlife: Flowers attract pollinators.
Origin: Satsuma mandarins originated in Japan, although Citrus unshiu is believed to have deeper genetic origins involving Chinese mandarin germplasm. Owari is an old Japanese satsuma selection named for the former Owari Province of Japan.
Noteworthy: Nearly-seedless fruit that are excellent for fresh eating.