US-852 Citrandarin

US-852 Citrandarin is a Changsha mandarin × English Large Flowered trifoliate orange hybrid from a cross made by Joe Furr at Indio, California, in 1965. Selected by D. Hutchison and tested as HRS-852, it was released by USDA-ARS in August 1999 for commercial rootstock trials in Florida.^⁠[7]⁠[8]

Grower reviews describe orange-skinned, seedy fruit with a thin, tough rind and lemon-mandarin or orange-drink flavors. Taste varies by sample and reviewer: The Mulberries found very sour flesh with herbal notes, moderate trifoliate influence, and little bitterness, while Tough Citrus described sweet, very juicy fruit with a little sourness and bitterness.^⁠[3]⁠[6]

The Mulberries recorded 101 g and approximately 11.5 °Brix for one US-852 sample from Stan McKenzie’s farm. Its color-strip pH reading was around 3 and possibly lower, entered in the fruit summary as approximately 3.0. These are sample observations, not fixed cultivar values. Changsha’s measurements in the same comparison are kept separate.^⁠[3]

Fresh eating appeals to some reviewers, especially those who enjoy sour citrus. Sweetened, diluted juice and marmalade are repeatedly suggested uses. The Mulberries found the zest bitter and low in quality, but usable with peel processing, and reported no sticky resin in the flesh.^{⁠[2]⁠[3]⁠[6]}

At The Mulberries’ planting, spring buds dropped before one small tree produced midsummer flowers. An attempted cross with Fukushu kumquat was described, but successful hybrid seed was not established. UCR notes substantial seedling variability, so offspring from seed should not automatically be equated with the named US-852 clone.^⁠[4]⁠[1]

Growers discuss survival near 0°F (about −18°C) and Zone 7 potential, but these videos do not establish a measured tree-level cold limit. Rootstock trials and accession notes describe useful disease resistance and performance beneath grafted scions; those findings should be distinguished from the qualities of US-852’s own fruit.^{⁠[3]⁠[6]⁠[1]⁠[7]}