Ugli Fruit grown in Tongaat, Northern Natal, South Africa

If anyone is in the Northern Natal area of South Africa (Tongaat), is familiar with this fruit, and knows its botanical name, I'd appreciate hearing from them. This is a citrus fruit which similar to 'Ugli Fruit', (a Jamaican citrus). This citrus fruit is large in size, has a rather 'lumpy' uneven, very thick skin which is easily peeled. The taste is a mix of grapefruit, naartjie and or orange. Thanks.

I might be interested in this answer.

I was googling today for info on the Minneola Tangelo and one place used the name Ugli Fruit as a synonym. Could they be the same? It's a cross between a grapefruit and tangerine.

I contacted the copyright owner company of Ugli Fruit and this name is specifically given to the fruit originating from Jamaica.

I found this South African fruit, which is probably similar to the Jamaican Ugli Fruit, in a very rural area on the east coast of Kwa Zulu-Natal, many, many moons ago. I'm going to buy some Jamaican ugli fruit if I see them in the supermarket and see if I can start my own tree from seed (unless they are seedless, of course)!!

How I wish I could find the delicious fruit from the South African variety.

I have wonderful fragrant plants growing in my tropical garden, which seed very well. I'd love to do an exchange should anyone from S.A. read this thread and have the fruit growing locally.

Did you have a Sanbokan grapefruit? Also called a sweet lemon? This is the first year I grew one and when you had posted this I really didn't put the two together. Mine taste sort off like what you described and now that i take a closer look at

Sorry I don't have a good picture of the fruit ripe but it's yellow with a bumpy skin and thick skin.

The tangelo looks like that but is orange when ripe.

Core, I've just done a google search re Sanbocangrapefruit/lemon. I dont recall it having a capped top to the fruit. More round, grapefruit/orange-ish. I found this infor re the possible botanical name.

http://coolexotics.com/forum/viewtopic-54-3-sanbokan-lemon.html

Regarding to the parentage,
1- it may be a pumello hybrid (Citrus x grandis). It is also named Sanbokan Grapefruit. (Citrus paradisi certainly also being a Citrus grandis hybrid)
2 - The International Plant Name Index says Citrus grandis Osbeck var. sulcata is a synonym of Citrus sulcata.
That's a second hint of this Citrus parentage with pumello and/or grapefruit, rather than lemon. Maybe a pumello x lemon, lemon x pumello, grapefruit x lemon, lemon x grapefruit hybrid?

BTW, there is not much information about that Citrus, indeed. Maybe you've seen that page?
http://www.woodlanders.net/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_id=1144.....

I have a couple of pumello's growing, (ate the fruit & planted the seeds) aged about 5/6 years but no sign of any fruit yet.

I have Meiwa Kumquat seeds if you'd like to exchange! These come from my own garden. Normally quamquats have delicious sweet rinds with quite tart fruit. The skin and fruit are eaten together to enjoy them! My Meiwa kumquat has a sweet rind together with sweet fruit. Truly delicious.

I also have a Meyers lemon - I have seeds of the fruit I've eaten. Its a 3 fruit grafted citrus tree, but the Meyers lemon is the only fruit I've had from it, though I've only had it for a season, so hopefully the tangelo and navel orange will bear some fruit this coming season. Anyhow, if you'd like to trade seeds, do let me know!

But any South Africans out there, Please Do Let me know the botanical name of the S.A. fruit if you know it. Thanks.

Cheers,

This looks dead on to me. http://www.woodlanders.net/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_id=1144

The orginal tree has been growing in Columbia, South Carolina for 30 - 40 years. I don't think anyone knows exactly what it is. You find trees around here that some sailor brought here from who knows where. The old plantation guys tried to grow a bunch of different things and in this case it looks like they were after cold hardy citrus. You'd be surprised what pops up at old farms and houses.

Yes I would trade some seeds but I'm a long time from having seeds. Next December or so. I knew I should have kept some.

It might be a bloomsweet.

Pumello's are great! ugly fruit too! I have planted the seeds from these and have small trees. But the thoughts of waiting 4-8 years for fruit don't get ti will be looking for a trees to buy

Alas! I agree. I'll be long in the tooth before I see a pumillo ripen on my trees!

Now if I could find a tree, even a small one with the S.A. fruit, I'd have it in my garden at a drop of a hat!

I've just sent an email to Pine Islands Nursery in Homestead, Florida. Here is a link of some interesting fruit nurseries, should you be interested:
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLJ,GGLJ:2007-43,GGLJ:en&q=south+florida+fruit+nurseries

These guys are up the road from me and have interesting cold hardy citrus. http://www.mckenzie-farms.com/favorite.htm

Thanks for the above info. I''ve had a reply from someone in South Africa, and they believe it might be a citrus by the name of Pampelmoes. "You are probably thinking of a grapefruit known as Pampelmoes" I did a Google search in South Africa, but did not find anything I could use.
I've sent a couple of emails to the Chamber of Commerce in Durban, South Africa !


This is definitely a semi tropical tree.

CoreHHI, how do you band your extracts in the email???? I'd love to know your secret!
Cheers,

Try this. http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&resnum=1&q=Pompelmoes&um=1&ie=UTF-8

Use babble fish or google translate.

Seems it's Citrus Maxima from Asia. I keep finding things in Dutch, seems they like them.

Oh, oh....the fruit was white, not pink!
Thanks for the link Core.
I'll post if/when I receive any info from the Durban/Tongaat Chamber of Commerce.

The seeds I planted from my Ugli Fruit (bought at Publix) have germinated! Now to baby them, though I dont know if they will fruit true to form. I'm certainly going to pamper them!

They have to be grafted There is a place here in plant city that has pomellos growing large tree

Danasplants, what am I going to have growing here? Wont the plant bear any fruit? Is it a matter of root problems in the Florida soil that they have to be grafted? I'm really not au fait with this side of gardening, so my knowledge is certainly limited here! I'd love to have details.

Usually you graft something to avoid root problems (bugs, fungus) or control size or for cold hardiness.

Give it a try I don't think "You have to graft them".

Thanks CoreHHI

Mangos if they are not grafted will taste like turpentine better do some research