Hi, Duarte trees usually are regular size trees, not dwarf trees. I got my citrus trees, a clemantine De Nules and a Kumquat Fukushu from Loew. All the trees with Duarte label on it so I think Loew got them from Duarte. I grow them in large pot,I am in zone 5. They grow very well. Has a lot of Kumquats every year.

I have good reason to believe that Duarte trees are good quality trees. They use strong root stock. besides the citrus trees, I also bought Duarte Sainta Rose plum from Loew which I keep it in its original 4x4 container for couple of years outside . I shamefully say that I did not take good care of it but it did not die easy. I finally found a spot in the back yard and planted it to the ground last fall and it now has a lot of white flowers. total of 7 fruit trees I bought from Loew /Duarte nursery, they are all alive and well.Hope this helps.

Duarte grows both standard, semi-dwarf and true dwarf citrus trees (like Four Winds' dwarf trees). You can drop Duarte an email or a phone call and ask them what "patio" means. I suspect it's actually a true dwarf citrus on Flying Dragon rootstock. Which would make a very nice potted "patio" tree. That's usually what growers are doing when they refer to a "patio tree" - it's grafted to Flying Dragon. They are a very reputable commercial citrus grower and they're very nice folks. They also have an active Facebook page, so you can post there, too :-)

Patty S.

Here is a link that might be useful: Duarte Nursery

Never dealt with Duarte directly. Only to share the quality of the trees I got from Duarte through Loew.

Duarte may have full range of selections from full grow to dwarf trees but you may not have much chioce of the trees' heights when you buy from Grocery store. My peach tree, plum tree , apricot tree are all full size trees. But my Kumquat is grafted on Flying Dragon.

Well, I think it depends on what socks is looking for. If they are hoping that this "patio" tree would do well in a container on a patio, which is the impression I got from their post and question, then checking with Duarte to see if by "patio", they are referring to a dwarf on Flying Dragon, then it would be a great choice. Where you buy the tree from is immaterial - grocery store, nursery, etc. It's still from Duarte, and you're right, they are very reputable growers. So, guess it depends what the original poster is wanting in a citrus tree. It they want a container citrus tree, and the "patio" is on Flying Dragon, then I'd get it, if it looks like a nice specimen.

Patty S.

I'll see if I can email Duarte. Thanks.

Patty, I respectively disagree as to it is immaterial where you buy the tree; as a grower/producer, I would say that the reputation of the grower/nursery is SOOOO important..Grocery stores and big box sellers are, IMHO the WORST places to buy trees. It goes along with my philosophy of trees... when you plant a tree, you are making a life commitment; i.e., you are going to put your time, energy, and money into this plant for a long time. For that I believe, start with the BEST tree that you can find, no matter what the price. Down the road you will thank yourself.

I would like to add some comments. I think from which nursary the plants come is far more important than how the plants are sold. Because the ways a particular nursary choose root stock, grafting and growing plants will affect the future performance of the plants ( maturity, fruiting, disease resistance, soil adaptability, etc. ). I would not concern too much about the distribution channel. A good , healthy, quality plant is a good , healthy quality plant, no matter it is sold throuhg nursary, home improvement stores, or in this case, through grocery stores.
Frankly, I am impressed by Duarte's marketing group's creativity. They not only go through traditional channels to market their products,but also reach out to the end customers through grocery stores to sale their products. It benefits nursary, grocery store, as well as end customers. In this steep competition world , they have to do what they need to do to reach out to more customers to stay in the business and grow the business.

My next door neigbor bought a Kumqaut and a Meyor Lemon from Home Depot last fall for half the regular price ( if anyone notice, they come in hexgon shaped 8" plastic container with full leaves , some are blooming). Over the weekend, I talked to my neigbor and learned that the plants are marked as patio citrus on the container. The plants are healthy,new grow start to show up ( we are in Chicago, the weather just warm up recently. citrus tree are kept indoor over the winter and does not do much in winter time). My neigbor is very very happy with the quality of their citrus trees so far and the price they paid.

I would assume that any plant listed as a 'Patio' variety, will be dwarf. That is certainly the case with vegetables, blueberries, apples, peaches, and a wide range of other tree fruits. 'Patio' often means ultra dwarf, able to be grown in small spaces.

'Patio' sized trees have been in the marketplace for many years; I would expect them to be even more popular than ever.

When purchasing your trees, it's always important to carefully inspect the plant for spider mites, scale insects (of various kinds), leaf miners, whitefly, and other pests. Don't buy a plant that is off color. If any branches are bare, leave it. The only problem I have with big box or grocery store plants is that those folks aren't trained in maintenance. The plants may look fine and BE healthy when they arrive at these places, but they go downhill from there. So, be a smart consumer.