Encore - Summer ripening
Citrus reticulata
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Description
Encore is a late-ripening mandarin bred by H. B. Frost at the University of California (King tangor x Willowleaf mandarin), selected and introduced in 1965. It is one of the highest-quality dessert mandarins for the home garden: super sweet, easy-peel fruit with a very rich, beautiful flavour, medium in size with a thin yellow-orange rind and firm, tender, juicy deep-orange flesh. Its defining feature is season — it fruits from late spring into summer (October to February in NZ), when almost no other citrus is fruiting, making it Very Late on the NZ mandarin scale and the classic partner to early Satsumas for a near year-round supply. Fruit holds on the tree especially well without loss of quality or much rind puffing. The tree is moderately vigorous and upright-growing, virtually thornless, productive but alternate-bearing; fruit carries numerous seeds. Pair with an early Satsuma (Silverhill, Miyagawa) and a mid-season type to span the year; give full sun, regular feeding and thinning in heavy years.
Characteristics
Fruit Size
Medium
Peel Colour
Yellow-orange
Flesh Colour
Deep orange
Harvest Timing (NZ)
Very Late
Seediness
Many Seeds
Growth Habit
Upright
Thorny
Notes
Late-ripening mandarin bred by H. B. Frost (King tangor x Willowleaf), introduced 1965. Fruits late spring into summer when little other citrus is available; fruit holds on the tree without much puffing. Productive but alternate-bearing; monoembryonic seeds.; Also reported: Dec-Mar ripening window, holds well on tree, leave a week past full colour, thin skin, dwarf-on-Flying-Dragon form.
Fruit Use
Dessert
Flavour Profile
Sweet, Rich
Storage Life
Good
Country Availability
Known to be available in 1 country