…by which I don’t mean a bureaucrat of Imperial China, but Citrus reticulata. The climate here is pretty far outside the range of most citrus, and my dream – long ago shattered – has always been to have a lime tree. Many years ago, I planted one in a pot, and it died to the ground during its first winter. The rootstock, likely the Trifoliate Orange (Poncirus trifoliata), continues to sprout, being much more hardy than the grafted lime, long since frozen.  I’ve since learned a lot about citrus – some serious and well-documented plant science going on in places like U.C. Riverside, which maintains the UCR Citrus Variety Collection.  Lime is pretty much out of the question.

Armed with a bit more information, I selected a sunny spot on the border between the food forest and the garden proper, and chose a mandarin variety called “Gold Nugget” primarily for its cold resistance.  Supposedly, it’s hardy to 10 °F.  In the more than 10 years I’ve lived here, it’s never gotten below 23 °F, so I have high hopes that in a few years, I’ll be BURIED IN AN AVALANCHE OF SWEET, DELICIOUS MANDARINS.  Wish me luck.