Pixie Mandarin Tree

The Pixie Mandarin was developed by Howard Brett Frost at the University of California, Riverside Citrus Research Center in 1927. Frost first crossed two Mandarin varieties, King and Dancy. He was hoping to get the late ripening of the King and the flavor of the Dancy. The result was a selection he named Kincy. The Kincy was large and seedy. He crossed it again, but this was not as well documented. This generation resulted in the Pixie, and the parentage is somewhat clouded.

The Pixies is either an open pollinated seedling of the Kincy of which the parent variety is unknown, or it is a seedling that came from the original cross. In either case, the result was decades of observation at the UC Riverside Citrus Center with no better recommendation for the selection than it possibly being suited for the backyard grower.

Because the Pixie sets light when young, it wasn't considered well suited for the commercial market. It could take 4 years before a grower would see a commercial size crop. Also, Mandarins in the mid-1900's were considered a Christmas fruit and the Pixie was not ripe until late January, well after the traditional market for the Mandarin.

Finally, in 1965 UC Riverside breeders James Cameron and Robert Soost released the Pixie, but with the recommendation that it be best suited for home gardeners. Then for another 15 to 20 years, the Pixie sat waiting to be appreciated.

In the late 1970's, citrus growers on the coast of California around the Ojai area sought to extend the selling season of mandarins. They were impressed by the flavor of the Pixie and began planting acres. More and more growers from the region followed on the success of Pixie Mandarins sales and today the Ojai region is renowned for the mandarins they produce. Pixie Mandarin remains a favorite.

The exposure of the variety by commercial growers also increased the demand from the home garden market. The range of adaptation was expanded by home gardeners experimenting with Pixie in colder areas of Zone 9, where it has proved to be a great performer.

Though admittedly slow to come into full fruit production, Pixie has also proved to be less prone to drastic swings in yearly production when mature. The flavor sets the high quality standard for the mandarin. It's almost seedless quality and ease of peeling makes Pixie Mandarin a favorite for the home gardener. The long harvest - up to 4 months or more - means the enjoyment seems to never end.