California Gardens - The Year Round Gardening Site

Kumquat Nagami * Fortunella margarita

Kumquat trees are compact and hold on to thier fruit for a long time. The variety Nagami is the most commonly available. The oblong fruits are thin peeled and a little tart. The fruit is often eaten whole but the skin can be a little bitter so I don't always eat the skins and just scrape out the flesh. The Nagami Kumquat is a fine choice for an excellent Marmalade. The Nagami Kumquat is often used for a container plant or as a useful ornamental. the 3/4" fruit can be on the tree from Fall to late Winter. The Nagami Kumquat has fragrant white flowers Spring through late Summer. The Giant Swallowtail uses citrus leaves as a larval food. Hard water makes long term container plants a challenge unless you correct for the salts left behind. Plants in the ground prefer weekly or twice weekly deep watering. Container plants require more frequent watering than is ideal, but gardening is a series of compromises. The Nagami Kumquat is Winter hardy to 20°F or slightly below with some protection making it one of the more hardy citrus.

Kumquat Nagami, Fortunella margarita

Fruit on the branch of the Kumquat Nagami, Fortunella margarita. High resolution photos are part of our garden image collection.

Get your fall color with fall fruiting trees featured on this site:
Jujube
Kumquat
Persimmon
Pomegranate