Okay, to address your list of requirements, citrus are all those, with the exception of being "kid friendly", as all citrus have thorns to some extent, even those that might be "thornless", especially when they're young. So, even though an orange tree might be considered, "thornless", if you look carefully enough, you'll probably see some thorns. So, just teach your kids like I did, to be careful. All the rest of your requirements really apply to all citrus, so, it really should be down to what you like, with regard to cultivars.

So, let me ask you back: what kinds of citrus do you like? If, for example, you really hate grapefruits, then it probably isn't worthwhile recommending some grapefruit varieties. So, let us know what you like in general, and what types of citrus you'd like to grow and enjoy, and we can be more specific with our cultivar recommendations. Again - no sense in recommending a lemon if you don't like lemons :-)

Patty S.

I planted citrus in my yard on one of the islands in Huntington Harbor. Lemons and Limes were excellent but I could not get the Washington Navels to get sweet. They need the hot summer AND the cold winter, or at least SoCal's version of cold.

I have to believe you would have the same problem with Valencia. I didn't know Meyers or Satsumas existed at the time but assume they would do well.

My backyard for 15 years is back in prime citrus country and originally was a commercial grove. The mature WN are fantastic and so is the Minneolas and Blush Grapefruit, none of which you should try in your climate.

I would tend to suggest:

Dwf Eureka - because they get big and grow fast
Std Meyer - because they are still small and bushy
Dwf Bearss Lime - because that is what most people expect for a lime and they produce a ton of fruit
Satsuma - either size but they tend to be smaller trees.

Don't even consider a Standard Mexican Lime. They get huge, produce too much fruit for 20 families, and have nasty thorns. If you must have a Mexican Lime get a Thornless Mexican Lime as they are small and produce much less fruit.

Oh my gosh, Greg. I grew up in Huntington Harbour. What a small world. Off of Davenport Island. Went to Harbour View and Marina HS.

Patty S.

This post was edited by hoosierquilt on Fri, Oct 3, 14 at 12:39

Thank you for help.

"what kinds of citrus do you like?":
Grapefruit, no (too bad, used to love them, but they counteract cholesterol medication).
Oranges, yes, juice or eating.
Mandarins/tangerines, or naartjies as we called them, yes, eating.
Lemons, yes, for making lemonade, and occasional cooking.

I'm attaching a layout picture to help visualize:
Patio when walking out from folding doors, about 4' raised back yard, artificial turf, concrete seating around patio edge, steps up to back on right hand side, bbq on left, firepit in the center, kids playset in the back, planters against wall on left and right.
The idea was to have the citrus near the seating to be bushes and lower, the trees towards the back taller, and blueberry bushes in between the trees.

Forget the oranges. They won't receive sufficient heat while the fruit is on the the tree.

Consider a kumquat. Of the several available, I prefer Meiwa. The kinds will enjoy popping the bite-sized fruit into their mouth. (You eat the whole thing, skin and all -- skin is nicely sweet.)

Jean
Who gardened in Long Beach, CA, for 30-some years

Patty,
It is a small world. I lived on Admiralty Island until the commute finally did me in and I returned to Upland. At the time, I didn't fully understand that I couldn't get some citrus to taste good in that climate.

Looking at the picture it appears that the OP would want citrus that are attractive up close. I would add Pink Lemonade Lemon as they are fabulous looking plants.

How would a Kishu or Pixie do in a climate that doesn't get hot or cold? Everyone raves about Kishus and the plant is small.

Okay, as far as your cholesterol meds go, just tell your doctor you need to switch to Crestor, so you can enjoy grapefruit (and pummelos) again. That is so dumb. I wish doctors would pay better attention to this (I am an RN, Crestor, rosuvastatin, does not interact with furanocouramins). Citrus, and especially grapefruits and pummelos are part of a healthy diet. If you like them, you should be able to eat them. No problem at all eating grapefruits or pummelos if you're on Crestor, that will fix that issue.

Jean, I had a Valencia orange in my back yard in Huntington Beach, and it was delicious, so it should do just fine for ptr in Manhattan Beach, especially if she's a bit away from the coast. Huntington Beach is cooler and foggier than Manhattan. Navel oranges may not get enough heat units, but you shouldn't have any issues with a Valencia. As far as mandarins, I would suggest Seedless Kishu. Pixie is also wonderful. Another good option is Clemenules (Nules) mandarin. All really excellent, rich, very sweet, easy to peel, super delicious. Lemons - the best true lemon out there would be a Santa Teresa Feminnello, which can be found at Four Winds Citrus. Pink Lemonade is pretty to look at, but the fruit is pretty worthless. Dry, pithy, not juicy. Pretty tree, poor fruit. A prettier tree is the Improved Meyer lemon, but it is a hybrid, and if you're looking for a true lemon, then this may not be to your liking. I would suggest tasting a Meyer lemon before you buy a tree. I love them, no all lemon lovers do. And, if you change your statin, you can consider a Cocktail pummelo hybrid. All the sweetness of an orange, but tastes like a grapefruit. And, doesn't need heat units to sweeten, like most grapefruits do. Just love them.

ptr, are you originally from South Africa by chance?

Patty S.

Patty, lots of good info, thank you, and yes, from South Africa :)

Pieter