Description
Mandarin Afourer (Citrus reticulata)
The Afourer mandarin originated in Morocco and is still considered a fairly new import to the Australian citrus scene, having been released to select growers in the year 2000. Since then, it’s been gaining popularity as a commonly available option on grocery store shelves alongside the usual suspects like Imperials and Emperors. It’s an attractive looking tree with dense, dark foliage and it grows relatively upright as well. Overall, it’s a smaller to medium sized tree, reaching full height around 3m, depending on the conditions.
The small to medium sized fruit is a vibrant orange with a thin and decently easy to peel skin. The flesh is sweet and juicy with a good, distinct flavour. In ideal conditions, Afourers can produces extremely well, which means they may overcrop at times and would benefit from being thinned out to keep the tree healthy and to avoid the likelihood of bearing fruit in alternate years.
Depending on the weather in your area, the fruit can start to ripen from July through to September, so they’d make a great pair with an early season citrus, like the Engall’s Seedless Mandarin, or Newhall Navel Orange.
For our citrus care recommendations, please check our Help & Advice page!
