Does My Kumquat Have a Split Personality?

14 years ago

Hi everyone! This is my first post on this site, so forgive me if this question has been asked before, but I've become a bit confused and bemused by a small Kumquat tree I bought about two years ago. In addition to dropping all of its healthy leaves after every watering, only to grow back again fully, I think it's taken on a bit of an identity crisis. I noticed recently that the tree is really split by two main branches emerging from the trunk, which in-and-of itself isn't strange at all. What's odd, though, is that all of the offshoots and leaves coming off one of the two branches look distinctly different than the offshoots and leaves of the other. To the extent that one half of the tree even has thorns, and the other doesn't.

Is this, well, normal? Does it have something to do with grafting? Will both sides produce fruit? I'm really not sure what to think about it...

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Comments (12)

malcolm_manners
14 years ago
Mizz -- yes, you have a grafted tree. The non-thorny side is likely the kumquat scion, which was grafted to some other variety as an understock, and the thorny branches are very likely coming from that understock. They should be trimmed off where they emerge, leaving no nubs.
mizzdrake
Original Author
14 years ago
hmm... this might be an issue as half the tree at this point is the thorny part. How do I find out what kind of tree the understock is? And if I choose not to cut it off, will the kumquat half die?

I've taken photos of both sides, but I'm not sure how to upload them to this post...
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
14 years ago
It's my understanding that grapefruit is often used as understock for kumquat, in some parts of the world. More likely it's trifoliate orange or another sour orange. Once you let the root stock get the better of the grafted species, it can be difficult to recover it. Only you can decide if you want to try or not.
mizzdrake
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for the help, guys! I guess I'll just have to do some research and find out what the understock is, and whether or not it's desireable. I love my little kumquats, but I'll only be left with half a tree, which wouldn't be too cute, if I cut off the root stock. ::sigh::

But, thanks again, everyone!
mizzdrake
Original Author
14 years ago
Okay, so after doing a bunch of research, it looks like half my tree is Kumquat, and half is Kaffir Lime. So I guess my last question is: can I possibly keep both sides of my tree happy, so I can have both fruits, or do I have to choose one or the other?
malcolm_manners
14 years ago
Yes, you could. Just don't let one side overwhelm the other, through the use of judicious pruning. It's surprising that KL would be used as a rootstock, but maybe. Does it really have that humongous petiole wing? Or might it be something smaller, like grapefruit?
mizzdrake
Original Author
14 years ago
The petiole wings are smaller than most of the Kaffir Lime pics that I found, but then I came across a few KL pictures that seemed very similar. And my plant has large thorns, as well, which the lime plant seems to. I would agree with you, though, in that I think the leaves probably more closely resemble that of a grapefruit plant, but I haven't found anything that states that grapefruit plants have the same thorns that mine does.

I would estimate that my plant is probably about 5 years old.

What do you think?
Thanks for all your help!
malcolm_manners
14 years ago
Yes, grapefruit seedlings often have big, sharp thorns. Most seedling citrus do. And grapefruit leaves do have a sizable petiole wing, although much smaller than that of KL.
mizzdrake
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you! You've been a big help. I think I'll keep both sides growing and see if I can't get a fruit salad out of the tree by the end of it.

Thanks again!
ray_seven
9 years ago
This was an extremely helpful thread as I am dealing with the exact same issue with a kumquat that was given to me about eight months ago. I can't seem to find a match for the leaves of the "alien" plant that has sprouted up. Can anyone tell me what type of plant these leaves belong to?

Thank you!
tcamp30144(7B N.ATLANTA)
9 years ago
Well that's not a kumquat ray its somekind of trifold rootstock as to what kind I have no clue. It looks very healthy but has the strangest leaf I have ever Sean.I attached a photo of a kumquat seedling to show what the leafs look like.
Trace
hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
9 years ago
Ray, that is trifoliate rootstock. I would cut that off at the trunk to let your kumquat revive itself, if there is any of the original cultivar scion left. If not, you've just got rootstock growing,

Patty S.