Table 1. Characteristics of common Texas citrus varieties.

Variety Tree size Fruit size Seediness1 Rind color Season Cold hardiness Comments
Oranges2
Navel large large 0-6 light yellow-orange Oct-Dec good low production
Marrs large medium 0-6 yellow-orange Oct-Jan fair
Pineapple large medium seedy yellow-orange Nov-Feb fair
Hamlin large medium 0-6 yellow-orange Oct-Jan fair
Valencia large medium 0-6 orange-yellow Mar-Jun fair
Grapefruit3
Marsh v. large v. large 0-6 light yellow Oct-May fair white flesh
Ruby Red v. large v. large 0-6 yellow, red blush Oct-May fair typical red flesh
Henderson/Ray v. large v. large 0-6 light yellow, red blush Oct-May fair redder than Ruby Red
Rio Red v. large v. large 0-6 light yellow, red blush Oct-May fair dark red flesh
Star Ruby v. large v. large 0-9 yellow, red tinge Oct-May fair deep red flesh
Mandarins and tangelos4
Satsuma, Owari medium small 0-4 orange-red Oct-Dec v. good Armstrong and Kimbrough varieties
Clementine tangerine medium small seedy dark orange-red Oct-Dec v. good needs pollinizer5
Dancy tangerine medium small seedy dark orange-red Nov-Jan v. good
Changsha tangerine medium small seedy orange Oct-Jan v. good comes true from seed
Orlando tangelo medium medium seedy light orange Nov-Jan good needs pollinizer5
Minneola tangelo medium large few red-orange Dec-Jan good needs pollinizer5
Acid citrus4
Calamondin small v. small 3-7 orange-yellow Jan-Dec good so-called miniature orange
Mexican lime medium small 3-9 greenish-yellow Jan-Dec poor thorny and thornless types
Tahiti lime medium medium 0-6 greenish-yellow Jan-Dec poor Persian lime
Nagami kumquat small v. small 2-5 orange Oct-Mar v. good oval, tart
Meiwa kumquat small v. small 1-3 orange Oct-Mar v. good round, sweet
Meyer lemon small medium few lemon yellow Aug-Mar fair not a true lemon
Ponderosa lemon medium v.large seedy lemon yellow Jan-Dec poor
Lemon, Eureka medium medium 0-6 lemon yellow Jul-Mar poor Lisbon and Villafranca varieties
Limequat small v.small few yellow Jan-Dec good Eustis variety

1 Varieties having 0-9 seeds per fruit are considered seedless.
2 Other oranges include Jaffa and blood oranges (which may or may not produce blood-color in the flesh). Numerous navel orange varieties include Washington, N33E, Texas, Everhard, Thompson and others.
3 Another grapefruit is Duncan, which is seedy and white fleshed.
4 Other mandarins include Robinson tangerine, Fortune tangerine, Ponkan (Chinese Honey Orange or Warnurco), Bower, Fairchild and Murcott Honey Orange.
5 Clementine, Orlando, Marrs and Robinson are good pollinizers.

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