Satsumas are the one citrus that genuinely fruits outdoors in central Alabama - seedless, zipper-skinned mandarins ripening right before Thanksgiving.
A mature satsuma on trifoliate rootstock is the hardiest edible citrus available to us, taking brief dips to roughly 18-20F once established, but it still needs protection here: wrap the trunk, mulch deeply, and cover the canopy with frost cloth or a frame-and-blanket whenever temperatures head below about 20F. Young trees are far more tender than mature ones and should be protected below freezing for their first two or three winters. Many Alabama growers keep them in large containers and roll them into a garage during hard freezes, which is the safest approach in Clay County. Shipped in a 6" Starter Pot, well-rooted from our Lineville, Alabama nursery.
Hardy in zones 8b–11b. It won't take a hard freeze, so north of its range grow it in a pot and bring it in for winter.
Full colour is zones 8b–11b, where this plant is hardy in the ground. Lower 48 shown — that's where we ship. 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, via the PRISM Climate Group.
How big does it get?
8-12 ft tall and 6-10 ft wide
How much light does it need?
Full sun, sheltered from north wind
Is it safe for pets?
Mildly toxic to pets if ingested
How is it shipped?
Packed to arrive healthy and shipped from our Alabama nursery to the lower 48 states.
Ships to all 48 contiguous states from our farm in Lineville, Alabama.
What it costs
Based on your order total: $12.95 under $35 · $16.95 to $75 · $21.95 to $125 · free over $125.
Ship days
Mondays and Tuesdays only — see below.
Getting it ready
1–3 business days to pot up, water back and pack.
Where we can't go
Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories, P.O. boxes, and outside the United States.
A plant in a dark box is on a clock. Shipping early in the week means it reaches you before the weekend instead of sitting in a warehouse from Friday to Monday. It costs us a day or two of lead time and saves a lot of plants.
Practically: an order placed Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or over the weekend goes out the following Monday. We'd rather tell you that now than let you find it in a tracking number.
Typical ground transit from Lineville, Alabama after the ship day. Estimates, not guarantees — weather and carrier backlogs happen.
Tracking is emailed the moment your box is scanned.
A little leaf drop or travel stress is normal and usually sorts itself out within a week or two of settling in. If a plant arrives genuinely damaged, email support@wadegreens.com within 48 hours of delivery with a photo of the plant and the box, and we'll make it right.
The facts that decide whether it takes root, in the order that matters.
Sunlight
Full Sun (6+ hrs)
Six or more hours of direct sun. With less it stretches toward the light and flowering thins out.
Water
Moderate
Water when the top inch of soil is dry. Evenly damp, never standing wet.
Mature Size
12-20 ft
Where it settles once established. Plan the spacing for this, not for the size it arrives at.
Foliage
Deciduous
Drops its leaves in fall and leafs back out in spring. Bare in winter is dormant, not dead.
Works As
Edible Garden
Traits