Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Cocktail Citrus
Cocktail Citrus carries more than one kind of citrus grafted onto a single trunk, so one tree can give you several fruits. Like all citrus, it is evergreen and covers itself in fragrant white blossoms in spring. Bees work the flowers, and fruit follows through the cooler months. It is a practical way to grow a mix of citrus where there is room for only one tree.
Best for: growing more than one kind of citrus in a small yard, fragrant spring blossoms, and fresh fruit from one evergreen tree.
Each tree has more than one kind of citrus grafted onto one trunk. It lets a small yard grow a mix of fruit without planting several trees. Plant it about 15 to 20 feet from other trees.
Citrus blooms in late winter to spring, around February and March in the Valley. The white flowers are strongly scented, and bees work them for nectar.
It keeps its leaves all year. Leave the low branches in place, since they shade the trunk from sunburn and help hold fruit within reach.
Lemons and limes are the most frost-tender citrus, with damage below about 27°F, so cover the tree on freezing nights. Citrus leaves and peel are toxic to dogs and cats. Dropped blossoms and fruit add litter.
- Row of trees15 ft apart
- Standalone tree15-20 ft apart
A young citrus tree needs water every few days in its first months, more often in summer. Water out past the edge of the canopy, not at the trunk.
Soak it 2 to 3 feet deep about every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in winter. Never water shallow and daily.
Feed with citrus fertilizer three times a year. Use January to February, March to April and May to June for oranges, and August to September for the last lemon or lime feeding.
Prune lightly from late winter into spring, never in summer. Leave the low branches to shade the trunk, and paint any exposed bark with white latex paint.
Lemons and limes are the most tender citrus. Cover the tree with frost cloth to the ground on freezing nights, and water the day before a freeze.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
What is a cocktail citrus tree?
It is a citrus tree with more than one kind of citrus grafted onto a single trunk. Each grafted branch bears its own fruit, so harvest each kind when it ripens.
Which fruits are on this tree?
The grafted mix can vary by crop. Ask us before you order if you want a specific combination.
How often should I water it?
Soak it 2 to 3 feet deep about every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in winter. Never water shallow and daily, and let the top of the soil dry between waterings.
When should I fertilize it?
Feed three times a year with citrus fertilizer. Oranges and grapefruit take January to February, March to April and May to June. Lemons and limes take the last feeding in August to September instead.
How cold hardy is it?
It depends on the grafted types. Oranges and tangerines handle about 23 to 24°F and grapefruit about 26°F, while lemons and limes can be damaged below about 27°F. Cover the tree with frost cloth to the ground on freezing nights.
When should I prune it?
Prune lightly from late winter into spring, never in summer. Leave the low branches to shade the trunk, and paint any exposed bark with white latex paint.
How far apart should I plant citrus?
Plant standard citrus about 15 to 20 feet apart. The Spacing tab shows the options.
Is citrus safe for dogs and cats?
No. Citrus leaves, peel and plant parts are toxic to dogs, cats and horses and can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Keep pets from chewing the tree or fallen fruit.
Does it bloom?
Yes. Fragrant white blossoms open in late winter to spring, and bees visit them, so plant it where you can enjoy the scent.
Is it messy?
Citrus drops leaves, blossoms and fruit. Pick fruit promptly, and keep it back from a pool, since dropped blossoms can clog a filter.
Cocktail Citrus for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Cocktail Citrus is a citrus tree with more than one kind of citrus grafted onto a single trunk. Below: watering, feeding, pruning, frost, spacing and how to care for a tree that carries several fruits.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Cocktail citrus tree in Phoenix
A cocktail citrus carries more than one kind of citrus on one trunk. Care is the same as for any citrus, with deep water, three feedings a year and frost protection.
Watering citrus in the Valley
Soak 2 to 3 feet deep every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in winter. Never water shallow and daily.
When to fertilize citrus in Arizona
Feed in January to February, March to April and May to June. Lemons and limes take the last feeding in August to September.
Protecting citrus from frost
Cover the tree with frost cloth to the ground on freezing nights, and water the day before a freeze.
Why paint citrus trunks white?
Citrus bark sunburns easily in the Valley sun. Keep the low branches, and paint exposed bark with white latex paint.
How far apart to plant citrus trees
Plant standard citrus about 15 to 20 feet apart.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.