Hirado Pummelo Tree

Hirado Pummelo is a Japanese pummelo selection known as ‘Hirado Buntan’. Its large fruit combines a smooth yellow rind with juicy flesh and a balanced sweet-acid flavor that retains a slight pummelo bitterness. ## Fruit and form The [UC Riverside Citrus Variety Collection profile](https://citrusvariety.ucr.edu/crc4122) traces ‘Hirado Buntan’ to a chance seedling named in Nagasaki around 1910. The standard type is described as large and oblate, with yellow mature flesh; the collection also distinguishes a separate pink-fleshed seedling selection. The tree is vigorous and medium to large, with large, thick leaves, and is more cold-tolerant than most pummelos. The profile reports an October–November ripening season in Riverside, while Florida observations give a later November–March season, illustrating how harvest timing depends on climate. ## Growing site Plant in a warm, sunny, sheltered site with room for a fruit tree to develop. The [University of Florida IFAS pummelo guidance](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/nassauco/2017/03/03/pummelo/) describes pummelos as large trees and recommends strong sun and protection from wind. Pummelo is a subtropical fruit tree; move a container-grown specimen under cover where winters bring damaging cold. ## Maintenance Provide regular water while the tree establishes and during dry weather, without keeping the roots waterlogged. Feed according to local citrus guidance, and remove only damaged or crossing branches. Confirm local climate and space before planting permanently.