Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Minneola Tangelo
Minneola is the tangelo often sold as Honeybell, a cross of a Dancy tangerine and a Duncan grapefruit. Its large, bright reddish orange fruit has a knob at the stem end that gives it a bell shape. The flesh is rich and juicy with a touch of grapefruit tartness, and the peel comes off by hand. It ripens in winter on a vigorous evergreen tree with fragrant white blossoms.
Best for: a backyard fruit tree paired with a mandarin, juicy winter fruit for eating fresh and juicing, and fragrant spring blossoms in a sunny yard.
The fruit is large and bright reddish orange, with a knob at the stem end. The flesh is rich and very juicy, with a touch of grapefruit tartness. Pick from about late December into February.
Minneola blossoms set little fruit on their own pollen. Plant a Dancy or Clementine mandarin nearby so bees carry pollen between the trees. With a partner you get a regular crop, though the fruit has a few more seeds.
Minneola grows into a vigorous evergreen tree about 10 to 20 feet tall and wide. Plant it in full sun about 15 to 20 feet from other trees, and away from a hot west wall.
Without another citrus nearby for pollen, the crop can be light. Young trees need frost cloth on freezing nights, and bare trunks sunburn. Dropped blossoms and fruit can clog a pool filter.
- Citrus trees in a rowAbout 15 ft apart
- Single tree in the yardAbout 15 to 20 ft from other trees
Water a new tangelo every few days for its first months, more often in summer. Wet the soil out past the branch tips so the roots spread out.
Soak 2 to 3 feet deep about every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in winter. Never water shallow every day.
Plant a Dancy or Clementine mandarin nearby so bees can carry pollen between the trees in spring. Without a partner, the crop can be light.
Feed with citrus fertilizer three times a year, in January or February, March or April, and May or June.
Prune lightly from late winter into spring, and keep the low branches to shade the trunk. Cover young trees with frost cloth to the ground on freezing nights.
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.
Is a Minneola tangelo the same as a Honeybell?
Yes. Honeybell is the name Minneola is often sold under, after the bell shape the stem-end knob gives the fruit. It is a cross of a Duncan grapefruit and a Dancy tangerine.
Does a Minneola tangelo need a pollinator?
Yes, for a regular crop. Its blossoms set poorly on their own pollen, so plant another citrus that blooms at the same time nearby, and bees will carry the pollen.
What is the best pollinator for Minneola?
Dancy, Clementine and Kinnow mandarins are the usual pollen partners. Plant one close enough that bees work both trees during the spring bloom.
When is Minneola tangelo ripe in Arizona?
The fruit ripens in winter, from about late December into February. Let it hang until it tastes sweet, because late picking gives a better balance of sugar and acid.
Does Minneola fruit have seeds?
It usually has a few seeds, and fewer when there is no pollen partner. Cross-pollination brings more seeds but also a more regular crop.
How big does a Minneola tangelo tree get?
Expect a vigorous evergreen tree about 10 to 20 feet tall and about as wide. Space trees about 15 feet apart in a row, and the Spacing tab can count them.
How cold can a Minneola tangelo take?
It is rated to about 24°F. Cover young trees with frost cloth to the ground on freezing nights, and water the day before a freeze.
Can it take full Phoenix sun?
Yes, it grows in full sun. Above about 112°F, especially on a west-facing side, citrus can show heat stress, so keep it away from a hot west wall.
How often should I water a tangelo tree?
Soak the soil 2 to 3 feet deep, out past the branch tips. Established trees need water about every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in winter.
When should I fertilize and prune it?
Feed with citrus fertilizer in January or February, March or April, and May or June. Prune lightly in late winter or spring, and keep the low branches to shade the trunk.
Is a Minneola tangelo safe for dogs and cats?
No. Citrus plants are listed as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Chewing the peel, leaves or stems can cause vomiting, diarrhea and depression.
Minneola Tangelo for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Minneola tangelo, the fruit sold as Honeybell, does well in low desert backyards. It brings an evergreen tree, scented spring blossoms and a winter crop of juicy, easy to peel fruit. This page covers what Valley homeowners ask most, including pollination, harvest time, size, spacing, watering, feeding and frost.
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.
Does a Minneola tangelo need a second tree?
For a regular crop, yes. Plant a Dancy, Clementine or Kinnow mandarin nearby so bees carry pollen between the trees during the spring bloom.
When to pick Minneola tangelos in Arizona
Minneola ripens in winter, from about late December into February. Late picking gives the fruit a better balance of sugar and acid.
Minneola tangelo vs Honeybell
They are the same fruit. Honeybell is a selling name for Minneola, after its bell shape, and the tree is a cross of a Dancy tangerine and a Duncan grapefruit.
How big does a Minneola tangelo tree get?
It grows into a vigorous evergreen about 10 to 20 feet tall and about as wide. Plant trees about 15 feet apart, and use the spacing calculator for a row.
Watering a tangelo tree in Phoenix
Soak the soil 2 to 3 feet deep, out past the branch tips. Established trees need water about every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in winter.
Is Minneola tangelo cold hardy in the Valley?
It is rated to about 24°F. Cover young trees with frost cloth to the ground on freezing nights, and water the day before.
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.