Clementine Orange – Identification

Q: I am an 11 year old gardener. I was wondering how if clementine oranges have no seeds how do they grow more?

A: Clementines are a hybrid variety of mandarin orange that originated in China. The pollen in this orange’s flowers will not pollinate itself, thus no seed form inside. Clementines are named for Father Clement Rodier, a Catholic priest and botanist who ran an orphanage in Algeria.

Spain and North Africa are centers of clementine production. Tens of thousands of acres of this popular fruit are harvested each year. Clementines like hot, dry summers and warm winters. California has a moderate clementine industry but nothing like that in Spain.

Try these articles:

The History of Clementines

The Clementine Mandarin Industries (Broken Link)

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