Amoa 8 Tangor

Amoa 8 is a mandarin-like tangor from Moro blood orange × Avana mandarin. Francesco Russo made the cross around 1990 at Acireale, Sicily. UCR received seed in 2002 and made later seedling selections in 2005.^⁠[2]

Small, rough-skinned fruit can develop intensely red to purple flesh and rind. It peels easily and is usually seedy, although individual video samples had few or no obvious seeds. Todolí describes thick peel and relatively little juice, making its colored juice useful in drinks and dressings.^{⁠[1]⁠[3]⁠[6]⁠[8]}

Ripe fruit earns enthusiastic tasting reviews: sweet mandarin or clementine character with berry-like notes. Givaudan tasters also noted floral, mulled-wine and allspice associations. A late-December review found modest juice yield, and a mailed-fruit tasting found little tart aftertaste. Flavor, seediness and color vary between samples and growing conditions.^{⁠[4]⁠[5]⁠[2]}

UCR lists December–January ripening at Riverside. McClendon’s fruit reached full color by mid-December to Christmas. Todolí describes a moderately vigorous tree; McClendon reports vigorous growth in the ground and large spring flowers, while UCR records pink to red flower styles and stigmas.^{⁠[1]⁠[5]⁠[3]⁠[7]}

Winter protection matters in colder gardens. McClendon reports no apparent damage around 30°F, but some damage during an unprotected winter near 17°F. A subsequent winter under frost cloth with supplemental heat caused no visible damage. These are individual growing experiences, not a guaranteed hardiness limit.^⁠[6]⁠[7]