Citrus made easy for growers, nurseries, and distributors

Dancy tangerines are commonly grown on Carrizo, C35, or Rich 16-6 trifoliate. However, they work on almost any rootstock.

Dancy tangerine trees from TreeSource typically begin blooming in early to mid-spring, around March or April, depending on local climate conditions. After bloom, the fruit slowly matures over several months. Dancy is a mid- to late-season variety, with fruit usually ripening from November through January.

In warmer areas, harvest may begin as early as late October, but peak quality generally occurs in December. Dancy tangerines are best when left to fully ripen on the tree, developing their characteristic rich flavor and deep reddish-orange color during the cooler months.

TreeSource is a wholesale supplier and occasionally has Dancy tangerines on our Availability List. C35 and Rich 16-6 trifoliate rootstocks would produce a semi-dwarf tree. Their care is no different than any other citrus tree, and we suggest you buy the Ortho book All about Citrus & Subtropical Fruits to help you with your tree.

Dancy tangerine trees grow best in USDA hardiness zones 9 to 11, where winters are mild and frost is infrequent. These zones typically include parts of California, Arizona, Texas, and coastal regions of the Southeast.

Dancy trees are somewhat more cold-sensitive than newer hybrids, so they need protection from hard freezes. In borderline areas like Zone 8b, they can sometimes be grown successfully with frost protection or in containers that can be moved indoors during cold snaps. Ideal conditions include plenty of sunlight, well-drained soil, and warm daytime temperatures with mild nights during the fruit-ripening season.

Cross-pollination is generally not an issue with Dancy tangerine trees, but it can affect certain aspects of fruit production depending on what you’re aiming for. Dancy is self-fertile, meaning it doesn’t require another citrus variety nearby to set fruit. It will reliably produce fruit on its own.

However, Dancy tangerines contain seeds, and if they’re grown near other citrus varieties that bloom at the same time—especially other mandarins or tangerines—cross-pollination can increase seed count in the fruit. If minimizing seed production is important, planting away from other citrus trees or using isolation strategies, such as bee nets during bloom, can help.

For most home growers or small orchardists, cross-pollination isn’t a major concern unless seediness is a specific drawback. The fruit quality, flavor, and yield remain excellent with or without nearby citrus.

There are only two limequats of interest, the Tavares and the Eustis. Both turn yellow when mature, but the Tavares has more of a lemon shape while the Eustis is shaped more like a kumquat.

Yes and no. Cuttings of Eustis can be special ordered for large growers, but our stock of Eustis are typically raised as budded stock to ensure the best possibility of survival when impacted by soil diseases.

Limequats tend to fruit very early in life, so it wouldn’t be uncommon to have a few fruit on our Small Pot or Large Pot trees. Sometimes, we have Box Ready Eustis trees, but these are rare. The best way to get a mature tree is to grow it yourself. Since limequats fruit early in their life, you should have fruit within the first year of planting into the pot of your choice.

Since we recommend you plant limequats in a pot, they won’t get much larger than two times the size of the pot. The pot keeps the tree dwarfed, and they can live for years in a pot as small 8”. Just make sure the pot has drainage holes and the tree is fertilized every month.

TreeSource ships UPS to its U.S. customers but can’t ship to Texas and Florida. All trees ship on Mondays to ensure UPS Ground will get the trees to its destination before the weekend.