Minneola Tangelo

Minneola Tangelo, also marketed as Honeybell, is a grapefruit × tangerine hybrid. UF/IFAS identifies the parents as Duncan grapefruit and Dancy tangerine and says the USDA Horticultural Research Station in Orlando released it in 1931. USDA Circular 181 gives a contemporaneous named description and recommends Minneola for trial. It links Minneola to a sibling cross whose grapefruit parent is called Bowen, leaving a historical naming discrepancy with the modern Duncan account.^⁠[7]⁠[6]

Minneola grows into a vigorous, large tree. UF/IFAS says it is not strongly self-fruitful and that suitable pollenizers improve yield; seed count depends on planting context, from solid plantings that are often seedless or nearly seedless to mixed plantings commonly carrying 7–12 seeds. Season also varies by source and place: UF/IFAS gives December–February in Florida, the historical Eustis report gives February–April at its best, and a California nursery account says mid-December.^{⁠[7]⁠[6]⁠[3]}

Minneola fruit is typically red-orange and often has a stem-end neck; peeling and taste vary among source accounts and samples. The historical Eustis report describes a firm, non-free-peeling rind and mild sweet-acid pulp; an Arizona grower called one season’s fruit very sweet with a little tartness, while another tasting account found a medium-sweet, tangy, juicy fruit with good acidity. These are source-specific observations and do not establish a universal sourness level.^{⁠[6]⁠[2]⁠[5]}