Species · genus Citrus · Rutaceae

Kumquat

Citrus japonica Thunb.

Also known as: Oval-kumquat · Calamondin Orange · Changshou Kumquat · Golden Nutmeg Orange · Golden-bean Kumquat

Growth habit

shrub

Native range

China Southeast, Hainan

Reference · C. japonica

Cultivars of C. japonica

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under C. japonica yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

Citrus japonica is a subtropical shrub from southeastern China and Hainan, where it grows in bright open conditions. Give it as much direct sun as you can, ideally several hours daily, and water when the top inch or two of mix has dried, then water thoroughly and let excess drain. It wants steady moisture but resents sitting wet, so err toward the drier side between waterings.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-10d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Direct sun

Water

≈ every 10 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

10–30 °C

Soil mix

Well-draining, slightly acidic citrus mix

Propagation

Semi-hardwood cuttings, seed, or grafting

Fertilizing

Regular citrus feed through spring and summer

Growth rate

Slow

Flowering

Fragrant white flowers, freely borne in good light

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs

Citrus — essential oils + psoralens; vomiting, diarrhoea, photosensitivity, dermatitis. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-10d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ASPCA

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Kumquat yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.