Fairhope, Alabama thefairhopetimes.blogspot.com
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| Silverhill orchard Nov. 2025. |
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| February 2025. |
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| Auburn Farm today. |
DAMAGED LAST FEBRUARY
Most area satsuma trees are recovering for the big freeze last February but have no fruit this season. One exception is the 'Frost Owari' variety at the Auburn Extension Farm on Hwy 104 which are the only ones bearing fruit there.
According to online sources, the Frost Owari Satsuma is is a cold-hardy and seedless mandarin with a fascinating history rooted in Riverside, CA. First introduced in 1916 by H.B. Frost, this selection has become one of the most popular varieties of Satsuma in the U.S., known for its juicy, bright orange flesh and thin, easy-to-peel rind. The tree itself is compact, slow-growing, and takes on a beautiful, slightly drooping shape, producing fruit that is not only delicious, but also easy to peel.
We noticed a few trees around town in sheltered areas were bearing fruit as well (Parker Road). Many other trees have been heavily pruned.
From Mobile Bay Magazine: "There have been several attempts to establish a satsuma growing industry in Lower Alabama but most failed due to freezes or dips in the economy. In the 1930s, Dr. O.F.E. Winberg, a Swedish immigrant and self-taught horticulturist living in Silverhill, decided to lick the temperature sensitivity of the fruit and experimented with grafting the Owari variety of satsuma to several rootstocks that could withstand colder temperatures. The most successful rootstock was and remains the trifoliata rootstock."
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| Parker Road satsuma tree today. |
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