Synonyms: Pummelo
Citrus maxima
Family: Rutaceae
Common Name: Shaddock

Believed to be originally from southern China, Malaysia and Polynesia, Citrus maxima (Synonym: C. grandis) is a tender, tropical tree which grows 5-9 m (16-30 ft) high. It has thin, blunt spines, characteristic, winged leaf stalks and large, white flowers. The round to pear-shaped fruit is very large, sometimes weighing up to 9 kg (20 lb), and yellow to orange in colour. It may be one of the ancestors of the grapefruit. The pomelo has coarse, segmented, acidic flesh used mostly for preserving in India and parts of Asia. A good cultivar is the pink-fleshed 'Chandler'.

Cultivation

Outside the subtropics or tropics, grow in an intermediate greenhouse or conservatory in a large pot or tub of slightly acid, soil-based potting compost' Provide humidity in summer. Outdoors grow in rich soil in a warm sunny position.

Climate

A very tender species. Requires zone 10.