-CMYK-Logo.png){kind=logo}
-CMYK-Logo.png){kind=logo}
Gold Nugget Mandarin Trees for Sale
Citrus made easy for growers, nurseries, and distributors
The Gold Nugget mandarin orange has become one of the most popular late-season mandarins for home gardeners because of its unique qualities. Known for its rich flavor, easy peeling, and reliable productivity, this variety offers both ornamental beauty and delicious fruit.
The Gold Nugget mandarin was originally developed through the University of California citrus breeding program and quickly gained recognition for its excellent eating quality. The fruit itself is medium to large in size, with a bright golden-orange rind that gives the variety its name. Unlike some mandarins, the rind of the Gold Nugget mandarin orange is slightly pebbly, but it remains easy to peel by hand. Inside, the segments are seedless, juicy, and bursting with a balanced sweetness and mild acidity. Many citrus enthusiasts describe the flavor as one of the best among late mandarins.
A Gold Nugget mandarin tree typically begins producing fruit in mid to late spring, often holding on the tree into summer without losing quality. This long harvest window is part of what makes it so highly valued, especially in comparison to earlier varieties like Kishu or Satsuma mandarins. The tree itself grows to a medium size, with a rounded canopy and glossy evergreen foliage. It makes an attractive addition to home landscapes, patios, or small orchards, providing both shade and ornamental appeal in addition to its fruit.
Mandarin Trees Your Way
From seed to container-ready.
How Our Gold Nugget Mandarin Trees Are Different
When purchasing Gillette navel orange trees from TreeSource, growers receive clean-propagated, true-to-type material from verified budwood sources. We emphasize uniformity, strong root development, and early structure so trees establish quickly and grow evenly. Shipping is handled in heavy-duty palletized triwall containers designed to secure pots and protect canopies, ensuring trees arrive healthy, stable, and ready to plant.
For orchardists and collectors seeking a classic California navel with heirloom pedigree, the Gillette orange offers a balanced, true-navel eating experience and a reliable mid-season harvest window. Whether planted in commercial rows, boutique groves, or heritage blocks, Gillette connects growers to the foundational era of California citrus — supported today by TreeSource’s clean stock program and professional handling to ensure healthy establishment and long-term success.
Gold Nugget Mandarin Tree FAQs
What’s the typical fruiting season for Gold Nugget trees?
A Gold Nugget mandarin tree typically begins producing fruit in mid to late spring, often holding on the tree into summer without losing quality. This long harvest window is part of what makes it so highly valued.
Do you offer any guarantees or protections against citrus greening or other citrus-specific diseases for the Gold Nugget mandarin trees you sell?
TreeSource is a fully certified citrus nursery under USDA/APHIS and California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) standards. We comply with stringent regulatory measures aimed at halting the spread of citrus diseases like Huanglongbing (also known as citrus greening or HLB). This certification allows us to ship citrus trees anywhere in the U.S. (except Florida and Texas), ensuring disease-free stock under controlled conditions.
How cold-hardy are Gold Nugget mandarin orange trees, and what is the minimum temperature they can tolerate?
Gold Nugget mandarin orange trees are considered moderately cold-hardy among mandarins, but like most citrus, they are vulnerable to prolonged or severe freezes.
A mature Gold Nugget mandarin tree can typically tolerate brief dips into the mid- to upper-20s °F (-3 to -4 °C) without major damage, especially if the tree is healthy and well-established. Young trees, however, are much more sensitive and can be injured or killed if temperatures drop below 30 °F (-1 °C) for extended periods. Because Gold Nugget mandarins ripen late (spring into summer), their fruit can sometimes still be on the tree during late winter or early spring cold spells. This makes frost protection—such as frost cloth, wind machines, or microsprinkler irrigation—important in colder regions.
What are the main advantages of selecting Gold Nugget mandarins for the home garden?
The Gold Nugget mandarin is one of the best choices for home gardens thanks to its sweet, seedless fruit, easy peeling, and long harvest season that extends from spring into summer. Known as a reliable late-hanging variety, it allows fruit to stay on the tree for weeks without losing quality, giving gardeners extended enjoyment.
The tree is medium-sized, attractive with glossy leaves and fragrant blossoms, and can be pruned to fit small yards or grown in containers. It produces consistently, requires only basic citrus care in USDA zones 9–11, and offers a combination of flavor, beauty, and reliability that makes it an excellent backyard mandarin.
What rootstocks are best for the Gold Nugget mandarin trees?
C-35 has proven to be the best rootstock for Gold Nuggets, but it also does well on Rich 16-6 trifoliate. It does really well on most rootstocks, but C-35 is preferred for Gold Nugget mandarins because it moderates tree size, resists root diseases, adapts well to different soils, and supports high-quality, late-hanging fruit with reliable yields. This combination of traits makes it one of the most practical and productive rootstock pairings for this variety.