Species · genus Citrus · Rutaceae

Japanese Bitter Orange

Citrus trifoliata L.

Also known as: Hardy Orange · Trifoliate Orange · Chinese Bitter Orange · Trifoliate-Leaved Orange

Growth habit

shrub or tree

Native range

China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast

Reference · C. trifoliata

Cultivars of C. trifoliata

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

No named cultivars catalogued under C. trifoliata 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 trifoliata is a deciduous shrub or small tree native to temperate central and southern China, where it grows in open, sunny conditions and tolerates cold. It wants as much direct light as you can give it and a deep, gritty, free-draining mix; water when the top two inches of soil are dry, then water thoroughly, letting it approach dryness between drinks. It is hardier and more tolerant of cool, dry winters than tropical citrus, so ease off water during dormancy.

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 7-14d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Direct sun

Water

≈ every 14 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

5–28 °C

Soil mix

Well-draining loamy mix; tolerates poorer soil than most citrus

Propagation

Seed or cuttings; commonly used as rootstock

Fertilizing

Light citrus feed a few times through the growing season

Growth rate

Slow

Flowering

White spring blossoms; the hardiest, most cold-tolerant citrus

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 7-14d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ASPCA

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Japanese Bitter Orange 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.