Mandarin hybrid

Clementine

Citrus × clementina

Winter sweetness

Taste: Sweet
Rind: Easy to peel
Use: Fresh fruit

A living collection

Meet the tree

Clementine is a mandarin hybrid combining Mediterranean mandarin and sweet orange. Its name is historically associated with Brother Clément Rodier and the garden at Misserghin in Algeria.

It became an important cultivated citrus during the twentieth century. Many selections now exist, with different ripening periods and horticultural characteristics.

The tree resembles a mandarin, with evergreen foliage and fragrant blossom. The collection document describes a winter crop, usually between November and January for the type represented here; exact timing varies by cultivar.

Its appeal is familiar: sweet flesh, a convenient size and a rind that is relatively easy to remove. Seed numbers depend on variety and pollination, so seedlessness should not be assumed for every fruit.

In the garden this familiar citrus provides a useful point of comparison with the more unusual hybrids around it.

A citrus journey

Misserghin, Algeria

Place of the selection historically associated with Brother Clément Rodier. Recognised parentage combines mandarin and sweet orange.

The rhythm of the year

November — January

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

● Indicative ripening / availability

Indicative period in the collection document. The window varies among the many clementine cultivars.

Weather, flowering and cultivation can shift these periods.

Here, in the garden

Look closely

Its compact shape and orange rind are familiar. Look at the leaves too: the story of a tree extends well beyond its fruit.

Sources & botanical notes

Adapted from the Villa Bizzarria citrus collection document, with botanical checks and the references below. Seasonal windows are reference observations, not a guarantee of ripe fruit at the villa.

Map: Natural Earth · simplified, indicative markers. Updated: 22.09.2026.