The Planting Range of a Honeybell Citrus

Winter Hardiness

• Winter cold is the greatest limitation to growing the honeybell citrus tree in the United States. It is neither a tropical or temperate tree, so the winter can't be too cold or too warm. Grow honeybell outdoors only in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11, where winter low temperatures dip into the 25 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit range. Ideally, grow it where threats of winter frosts and freezes don't occur and cause damage to fruits or new flowers.

Climate Characteristics

• For the honeybell tree to grow to its fullest potential and yield the highest quality, sweet, red-orange fruits, it needs a long, hot summer and chilly, drier winter climate. Blossoms arise in late winter and early spring, attracting insects for pollination. The immature fruits slowly mature over the heat of summer and do not prematurely abort as long as the soil remains evenly moist but well-drained. By late fall the fruits are approaching full size, but the acids in the fruits need exposure to chilly temperatures to convert to sugars. If the winter is too cold, the fruits may freeze; if winter is too warm, the fruits don't get satisfactorily sweet and the fruit's skin doesn't fully attain orange hues.

Sunset Climate Zones

• "Sunset" magazine developed climate zones for use in the variable elevations and latitudes across the American West where the USDA zones are not easily applied or interpreted. These climate zones factor in soil, rainfall regimes, humidity, latitude, elevation and winter temperatures to more precisely advise where certain plants are best suited to grow. The honeybell tangelo is best grown outdoors in Sunset climate zones 8, 9 and 12 through 27. In the continental United States, that correlates to Florida south of Ocala, the tip of Texas around Brownsville, the coast and coastal ranges of California, the Central Valley and the low and intermediate deserts of southwestern Arizona and southeastern California.

Summer Heat Needs

• Ample summertime heat is needed to ensure proper development of honeybell fruits before the eventual onset of chilly fall and winter temperatures. Using the American Horticultural Society's Heat-Zone Map, honeybell citrus trees excel in zones 9 and 10, where 90 to 150 days of temperatures above 86 F occur annually. While these trees may survive outdoors in many parts of mild-wintered California, the cooling effect of the Pacific Ocean may prevent the best fruit development. Minneola was developed in Florida, and peninsular parts of the Sunshine State continue to provide the ideal planting area.