In my garden every plant has a history, or so I claim. The plants are friends and to know their history makes them a meaningful part of my life and enhances the time I spend with them in the garden.
Such is the case of this lowly kumquat (Fortunella Swingle) bush that has been with me since 2004 . . .and which I've known for some years longer. The little bush lived in a big clay pot in Pensacola, Florida for a number of years, with a close friend of mine. When my friend was moving to a new house in 2004 he gave the plant to me for the 500 mile trip to our relatively warmer (and more suitable) climate in Central Florida. The bush never produced fruit in Pensacola, and until recently never did much here either.
The little kumquat eventually made it into the ground in a long row of citrus trees I planted in the spring of 2005. Each of the trees came from a friend or from one of our other properties. As with all plants. . .and with climate. . .and with circumstances. . .I had no way of knowing in early 2005 that we would have some of the hottest, coldest, and driest weather on record in the years that followed. Nor did I know we'd have the rainest August on record this year.
Somehow, all of the citrus trees have survived on a diet rich in neglect. . . and despite the rain, lack-of-rain, hot and cold.
This summer I finally collected enough hoses to reach 200' from nearest water spigot to farthest tree. This kumquat is one of those farthest from the water.
It hasn't grown any taller. Still a sad 3' tall bush. . .but yesterday I noticed that the little bush is bearing fruit. And. . .as with everything in my garden, its history makes it both a worthy survivor and a contributor to the richness of the garden.
Some information on the kumquat:
The kumquats or cumquats are a group of small fruit-bearing trees in the subgenus Fortunella of the genus Citrus in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, often segregated as a separate genus Fortunella. The edible fruit (which is also called kumquat) closely resembles that of other citrus but but is smaller.
They are slow-growing, evergreen shurbs or small trees, from 6-10 feet tall, with dense branches, sometimes bearing small thorns. The leaves are dark glossy green, and the flowers pure white, similar to citrus flowers, borne singly or clustered in the leaf-axils.
Kumquats originated in China (they are noted in literature dating to the 12th century), and have long been cultivated there and in Japan. They were introduced to Europe in 1846 by Robert Fortune, collector for the London Horticultural Society, and shortly thereafter into North America. Originally placed in the genus Citrus, they were transferred to the genus Fortunella in 1915.
Five species are currently accepted:
Citrus crassifolia (syn. Fortunella crassifolia) - Meiwa Kumquat
Citrus hindsii (syn. Fortunella hindsii) - Hong Kong Kumquat
Citrus japonica (syn. Fortunella japonica, C. margarita, F. margarita) - Marumi or Nagami Kumquat
Citrus obovata (syn. Fortunella obovata) - Jiangsu or Fukushu Kumquat
Citrus polyandra (syn. Fortunella polyandra) - Malayan Kumquat
Kumquats readily hybridise with other members of the genus Citrus and with the closely related Poncirus (hardy oranges). These hybrids are known as Citrofortunella; examples include the limequat, orangequat, and calamondin.
I have a limequat in the garden as well. The limequat was clobbered by a large pine that fell in T.S. Fay in late August. The limequat sprouted below the graft and is now looking something more like a wild lime. . . and something less like a kumquat. The new, below graft sprout soars 25' into the sky.
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