{"product_id":"japanese-lemonade-ujukitsu","title":"Japanese Lemonade Tree (Ujukitsu)","description":"\u003ch1\u003eJapanese Lemonade (Ujukitsu)\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA Lemony Fruit with the Naturally Sweet Sugar-Acid Balance of a Sweet Orange\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile its distinctly lemony flavor will make you think it is a lemon hybrid, genetic testing has revealed that Ujukitsu actually contains zero true lemon ancestry! It is a centuries-old Japanese natural hybrid of Mandarin and Pummelo that pulled off the ultimate flavor magic trick—recreating the refreshing taste of fresh lemonade entirely through the genetics of sweet, mild-acid parents. Because it possesses the naturally balanced sugar-to-acid ratio of a sweet orange, you get that wonderfully unique lemony flavor completely free of the sharp, overwhelming acidity that makes lemons hard to eat fresh. You can easily peel the slices to eat them fresh out of hand, or squeeze it to enjoy the juice straight without ever needing to add sugar.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote style=\"margin: 24px 0; padding: 12px 20px; border-left: 4px solid #1a1a1a; background-color: #f9f9f9; font-style: italic; color: #444444; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMy Personal Take:\u003c\/strong\u003e Lemonade-type citrus fruits, including Ujukitsu and the New Zealand variety, are some of my absolute favorites because they deliver a delicious lemony flavor with a beautiful balance of sweetness and mild acidity. I love them so much that I've actually launched my own breeding project to try to create a new lemonade fruit variety. It would be wonderful to have these fruits available for a larger part of the citrus season. It will be interesting to see if California growers can successfully extend their harvest by planting both the New Zealand and Japanese varieties.\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Flavor \u0026amp; Sensory Experience\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe Orange-like Sugar Balance:\u003c\/strong\u003e It features a low total acidity paired with high natural sugars, perfectly mirroring the smooth, palatable balance of a sweet orange rather than a sour lemon.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVersatile Fresh Eating:\u003c\/strong\u003e The exceptionally juicy, lemony flesh is mild enough to eat fresh straight out of hand, or it can be squeezed into a naturally sweet, ready-to-drink lemonade juice that requires absolutely no added sugar.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Backyard Advantage\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eExceptional Freeze Resilience:\u003c\/strong\u003e Inheriting robust winter hardiness from its mandarin and pummelo parents, Japanese Lemonade (Ujukitsu) is field-proven to survive severe freezes down into the mid-10s Fahrenheit, easily outliving frost-sensitive true lemons.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePremium Rootstock Selection:\u003c\/strong\u003e These trees are grafted onto a semi-dwarfing rootstock specifically chosen to impart high fruit quality.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; color: #1a1a1a; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin-bottom: 16px;\"\u003eVariety Specifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: #333333; margin-bottom: 24px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #eeeeee;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: 600; color: #666666; width: 30%; background-color: #fafafa; vertical-align: top;\"\u003eType\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; line-height: 1.4; vertical-align: top;\"\u003eHybrid of Mandarin and Pummelo\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #eeeeee;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: 600; color: #666666; background-color: #fafafa; vertical-align: top;\"\u003eOrigin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; line-height: 1.4; vertical-align: top;\"\u003eJapan; a traditional local heirloom variety formally cataloged by Dr. Chōzaburō Tanaka in 1935, introduced to the United States via seed sent to UCR in 1963, and modernly verified as a direct cross of Kishu mandarin and an ancestral pummelo.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #eeeeee;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: 600; color: #666666; background-color: #fafafa; vertical-align: top;\"\u003eRegional Performance\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; line-height: 1.4; vertical-align: top;\"\u003eWhile it has been successfully grown and enjoyed in Riverside, it is a brand-new, exciting variety for the rest of California, meaning its performance across other local microclimates is still waiting to be discovered by adventurous backyard growers. It is also a proven, cold-hardy superstar across Texas and the deep American South, where it famously survived historic freezes.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; color: #1a1a1a; margin-top: 32px; margin-bottom: 12px;\"\u003ePrimed for Growth\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333;\"\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eContainer Size:\u003c\/strong\u003e Grown in a 4\" x 4\" x 8\" air-pruning pot.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSupercharged Roots:\u003c\/strong\u003e Air-pruning technology prevents root-binding, creating a dense, fibrous, and incredibly robust root system that eliminates transplant shock.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eExpertly Structured:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pruned early to develop a low, sturdy scaffold branch system, ensuring your citrus tree naturally grows into a beautiful, balanced shape.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRapid Establishment:\u003c\/strong\u003e Because of this superior root architecture, the tree won't stall out or hesitate—it is engineered to immediately anchor in and start pushing new growth the moment you plant it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; color: #1a1a1a; margin-top: 32px; margin-bottom: 12px;\"\u003eCertified Health \u0026amp; Shipping Compliance\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333;\"\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eElite Health Guarantee:\u003c\/strong\u003e Grafted in California inside a USDA APHIS-approved insect-resistant structure, this tree remains entirely within a secure, protected facility from grafting until it is boxed for delivery. This unbroken chain of biosecurity guarantees zero exposure to outside pests and utilizes certified, disease-free budwood from rigorously tested parent stock.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaximum Protection:\u003c\/strong\u003e This strict adherence to federal and state agricultural laws ensures you receive a structurally sound, perfectly healthy tree completely free of disease.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e48-State Compliance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Because of these elite biosecurity standards, this tree is fully certified to ship directly to your door in 48 states.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShipping Restrictions:\u003c\/strong\u003e Due to strict state quarantine laws, we unfortunately cannot ship this tree to Texas or Florida.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"fruitmentor","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56328240136358,"sku":null,"price":49.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/4910\/2758\/files\/Ujukitsu-DSC_1741.webp?v=1774647987","url":"https:\/\/shop.fruitmentor.com\/products\/japanese-lemonade-ujukitsu","provider":"fruitmentor","version":"1.0","type":"link"}