Ever since we bought this house five years ago, there has been a monstrous, thorny shrub growing back beside the garage, on the edge of the cedar grove. Our first instinct was to cut it down, but there were signs of a wire wrap having been placed around its base at some point, to protect it from deer. We figured it must be something good, that was planted intentionally by the previous owners. So we put up with it, year after year, as it grew and grew, and those thorns got ever more deadly, always thinking that eventually, it would prove its worth.
It did not. Finally, John got fed up. He whacked off a branch this spring and took it into the feed store to see if they could I.D. it for us. I forget what they called it, but they said "Nope, no redeeming qualities. Just an obnoxious weed." About fifteen minutes later, John had that sucker chopped to the ground.
Guess what he found, beneath all those thorns? A tiny little twig of a tree, and as it turned out, that is what the wire mesh was actually meant to protect. Its leaves were long, thick and glossy, and though I wasn't certain, I had a hunch that it was some kind of citrus tree. Only time would tell.
Life got kind of hectic around here after that, and we pretty much forgot about it until one day this summer. I was working nearby when I caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye. Hot damn! My little tree had three pieces of fruit on it, and yes indeedy, they were definitely of the citrus variety. They were small, hard, and green. Must be limes, right?
Just about every week I'd go out and give them a little squeeze to see if they'd gotten any softer, but they never did. They just got bigger, and bigger, and bigger. Finally, just a few days ago, the color began to show a hint of orange. Since there was a freeze predicted in the next few days, and I might lose all three, I decided to pick one, just to see what was inside. Much to my surprise, it seemed perfectly ripe, though not terribly sweet, and I ate it right up. Easy to peel, not a seed in it anywhere, sections separate easily, big as my fist... Is it a tangerine? A mandarin? Who knows? Who cares? I've got a citrus grove!
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9 comments:
How awesome is that little surprise!
What's even more amazing is that the deer didn't destroy it the minute we removed its thorny armor, or that the weight of the fruit didn't snap it in two. It's such a scrawny little twig!
What a wonderful story! Now that you have your own citrus fruits, you can use the untreated peel in countless ways! Enjoy your citrus grove:)
Francesca, please give me some ideas! I put some in a French beef daube (braise or stew) recently, and it was fantastic! What else can I do with my peels?
Mmm, fresh oranges! You're a lucky gal. We used to use orange peel in holiday baking -- spice breads, etc.
My parents always put tangerines (which is what these probably are) in the toe of our Christmas stockings, and my sister would always begin peeling hers immediately - so to me, that is the smell of Christmas morning!
From the sounds of the rain falling this fine morning, on this end of town, I imagine your citrus farm is getting a good drink.
What a wonderful surprise! Could it be a Satsuma?
Barb, I think you must be right! That's the same vote I got from my most trusted gardening authority (my sister-in-law's father) down in Louisiana, who's been growing fruits, nuts and veggies his entire life.
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