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Be on the lookout for the bright colors of the thorny Trifoliate orange tree.

Be on the lookout for the bright colors of the thorny Trifoliate orange tree.

Have you ever seen a shrub with long green thorns and yellow fruit that looks like lemons? If you answered yes, you have spotted a trifoliate orange plant.

This column will describe trifoliate orange and discuss chemical methods that can be used to control it. The sources used include the Mississippi State University Extension Service publication “Herbicide Options for Hardwood Management” and the North Carolina State University Extension Gardener publication entitled “Citrus trifoliata”.

Trifoliate orange is a deciduous shrub or small tree that can grow to near twenty feet in height. It is native to Asia and is related to several citrus species. Other commonly used names include mock orange, hardy orange, lemon tree, and Chinese bitter orange. This plant was likely planted in the southern U.S. as an ornamental tree due to its fragrant flowers and distinctive yellow fruit. It has since spread forming dense thickets that can choke out native plants and cause havoc on tractor tires.

Trifoliate orange has compound leaves with three leaflets. The white blooms appear in May bringing a citrus like aroma. The green immature fruit appears in mid-summer. The mature yellow fruit becomes noticeable in September and October. The somewhat edible fruit is full of seeds and extremely sour. The fruit skin and pulp can be made into marmalade.

When the plant escapes into pastures and woodlots chemical control is often necessary. Multiple herbicide applications can be expected when treating trifoliate orange. Always remember to read and follow label instructions when using herbicides.

Treatments can include bark and foliar applications of herbicides containing triclopyr (Garlon). Plants with large stems can be treated with basal bark treatments with a solution that includes twenty-five percent Garlon 4 and seventy-five percent basal oil. Basal oil is a herbicide carrier that increases the absorption of the chemical into the bark of trees.

Smaller plants can be treated in late fall with a foliar spray solution that includes four percent Garlon 3A, water, and .5 percent of a surfactant. Surfactants are additives that help herbicides stick to and absorb into plant leaves.

If you are walking in the woods this fall keep your eyes open for the yellow fruit of trifoliate orange. Take care to avoid the thorns. If you plan to eat the fruit, make sure you have plenty of sugar!

Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High 62F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph..

Clear skies. Low 39F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.

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