Mystikal said:

Just harvested the rest! I haven't been this proud or excited about anything in years.

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Oh man you’re reminding me how stoked I was on my first grow. They were Treasure Coast as well. Great job!

Mystikal said:

Just harvested the rest! I haven't been this proud or excited about anything in years.

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tyrannicalrex said:

Texas weed grown in the ground?

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Quote:

That's a trifoliate orange (*Poncirus trifoliata*, also called hardy orange), recognizable by the three-part leaves, big green thorns, and small fuzzy, seedy fruit. It's the most cold-hardy citrus relative there is, but Canadian zone 5 is at or just past its limit.

Established plants are generally rated to about USDA zone 5b or 6, tolerating roughly -20 to -25°C. Canadian zone numbers aren't the same as USDA ones, and a Canadian zone 5 location (Ottawa or Montreal, for example) is typically colder than USDA zone 5, with lows that can hit -30°C. Washington, DC is USDA zone 7 to 8, far milder.

So it can survive in Canadian zone 5, but expect a gamble: likely tip dieback in hard winters, slower growth, and less reliable fruiting. People do grow it in southern Ontario, mostly in zones 6 to 7.

If you want to try with those seeds:

- **Plant them fresh.** Citrus seeds lose viability if they dry out. Sow them now in pots, or keep them in damp paper towel in the fridge for a couple of months first, which improves germination.
- **Grow them in pots for the first 2 to 3 years.** Seedlings are much less hardy than mature plants. Overwinter them somewhere cold but protected, like an unheated garage.
- **Pick a sheltered spot.** A south-facing wall, out of the wind, with well-drained soil and good snow cover gives it the best chance.
- **Mulch heavily, and wrap it in burlap for the first few winters outdoors.**
- **Plant several.** Seedlings vary a bit in hardiness, so the toughest ones will sort themselves out.

The fruit is edible but very sour, bitter, and resinous. It's mostly used for marmalade or as a lemon substitute, not for eating fresh.

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