You are buying directly from the growers, not a third party.

Our grafted trees are 26 – 30″ tall. They are staked and pruned to start the first branching.

We grow our trees in the same pot that we grow commercial trees. It is a 4 inch square pot that is 14″ tall to allow for good root development.

Our “citri-pot” is equivalent to a “1 gallon” capacity.

This “sleeve” is perfect for shipping because you get the entire root ball and soil rather than “bare root.”

Getting the soil with the tree greatly increases your success with your new citrus tree.

We offer trees grafted on standard rootstocks that will mature between 12 - 15 feet tall if planted in the ground.

We also offer dwarf rootstocks for some varieties. Dwarf rootstocks limit the mature size of the tree to between 8 - 9 feet if planted in the ground or smaller if kept in containers.

We now offer a rooted cutting/bush type plant in a few varieties. This is a smaller plant, perfect for container growth indoors.

All citrus nurseries that propagate trees (as opposed to buy them from another nursery) are held to strict growing standards that include fully enclosed greenhouses with insect screen, double entrances and employee decontamination/sanitation procedures. Additionally, each nursery is inspected every 30 days by the Florida Department of Agriculture. In our case, because we are a certified interstate shipper, we are also inspected by the USDA every 30 days. If any disease is found, we would be quarantined for a minimum of 90 days. Our business and our employees can’t afford this risk, so we have chosen to limit who goes in and out of the nursery. We hope you understand our position. If you have any questions, feel free to contact our office for more information. Use the form on the contact page, call 352-793-6861 or email us at [email protected].

No, the same rules exist for you as they do for us. Citrus plant material cannot be moved from Florida to any other citrus producing state. These include Arizona, California, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Texas. We also cannot send plants to Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. This is a USDA rule, not our rule!

For grafted trees, we recommend a pot that is at least 14″ deep and around 16″ in diameter. This keeps you from having to cut off part of the roots to fit in the container. A 10 gallon equivalent container works great. If you need to start in a smaller container, then cut the bottom of the roots, but never bend the tap root.

For rooted cuttings, the root ball on this plant is approximately 5″ x 7″, so you want a container that is at least 10″ deep to allow for root growth. A 5 gallon pot is a good place to start.

When you receive our trees, the standard and dwarf grafted trees are both 26 – 30″ tall. The difference is that the dwarf tree is grafted onto a rootstock that limits the mature size of the tree to around 8 – 9 feet tall and wide. The dwarf tree is also more suited to container growing because the rootstock will not outgrow the container as quickly as a standard grafted rootstock. Most standard rootstock trees will mature at between 12 – 15 feet tall and wide.

Absolutely! We will include a card with your personalized note with any gift order. We will send the receipt to you, not the gift recipient.

Standard and Dwarf grafted trees are approximately 26 – 30″ from the soil line to the top of the tree.

Our grafted trees are normally between 1 - 2 years old.

Fruit production depends on age of tree and care. Typically, our trees will bear a few pieces of fruit within two years after you receive it. The amount of fruit will increase each year. Some citrus varieties are more prolific (kumquats, limes, calamondins), so you will have more fruit in the first year.

Don’t forget to “feed” your trees so they will feed you! The use of a balanced fertilizer is critical to fruit production. See our Care Guides page for more recommendations.

To see when you can expect to harvest your citrus fruit, please refer to this Harvest Chart.

We recommend planting standard trees 15 feet apart. You can plant closer, but pruning will be needed at some point.

Dwarf trees can be planted 8 feet apart if planted in the ground.

Dwarf – up to 8 feet tall in the ground, less if kept in a pot.

All others – 12 – 15 feet tall in the ground, less if kept in a pot (more pruning will be required to keep in pot).

Citrus trees respond well to pruning. You can do it almost anytime. It is best to prune when the tree is not blooming to avoid cutting off fruit. Also keep in mind that citrus produces fruit on second year growth, so if you overprune, you are cutting off future fruit production areas.

For illustrated instructions on pruning, please refer to this Pruning Guide.

Many people ask, why you have to use a greenhouse when in sunny Florida? State of Florida CFR 5B-62 requires that all citrus nursery trees be produced inside enclosed, insect-free structures. Any propagating citrus nursery in Florida is legally required to have a greenhouse with screen on all sides with a “double entrance” and positive air pressure to prevent insects entering the structure. In our case, we also relocated our nursery from a heavy citrus production area to an area with no commercial citrus to further protect from diseases and insects. Prior to January 1, 2007, most citrus nursery trees in Florida were grown outside.

▸My citrus tree is dropping leaves. Is this normal?

Some leaf drop is completely normal — citrus trees naturally shed older leaves as part of their growth cycle. What's notnormal is sudden, heavy leaf loss all at once. If your tree is dropping a handful of older, yellowing leaves here and there while continuing to push new growth, that's ordinary maintenance, not a problem. If it's losing most or all of its leaves in a short period, one of the causes below is likely at play.

▸Why did my tree drop its leaves right after I brought it indoors for winter?

This is by far the most common cause of leaf drop we hear about, and it's almost always transplant/environmental shock, not disease. When a tree is suddenly moved indoors for winter, it experiences a sharp drop in humidity, less direct light, and a change in temperature all at once — and it responds by shedding leaves to conserve energy while it adjusts. As long as the branches stay green and flexible when gently scratched or bent, the tree is alive and will typically push new growth once conditions stabilize.

▸My leaves turned yellow or developed dark, water-soaked patches before dropping. Is this cold/freeze damage?

Yes, this is a classic sign of cold or freeze injury. Ice forming inside the leaf cells damages the cell walls, which shows up as dark, water-soaked spots followed by yellowing and drop. The severity depends on how cold it got, how long the cold lasted, and how well-established the tree already was. If your tree was exposed to temperatures below 40°F, especially for an extended period, this is the most likely explanation — and unfortunately something we can't warranty once a tree has left our greenhouse (see our Winter Shipping Alert).

▸I just repotted my tree and now it's dropping leaves. Did I do something wrong?

Not necessarily — some leaf drop after repotting is a normal part of transplant shock as the roots adjust to their new container and soil. To help your tree recover:

• Water consistently, but don't overdo it — the goal is steady moisture, not soggy soil.
• Keep the tree out of harsh direct sun or wind for a week or two while it re-establishes.
• Hold off on fertilizing heavily until you see new growth resume.
• Avoid repotting during the coldest or hottest parts of the year if you can help it.

▸Could I be overwatering or underwatering my tree?

Both can cause leaf drop, but they tend to look a little different:

• Overwatering is the more common mistake. It leads to root stress and yellowing that often starts from the bottom of the tree upward, and in more serious cases, root rot.
• Underwatering/drought stress tends to show up as yellowing starting from the leaf tips inward, along with a wilted appearance.

A simple check: press a finger about two inches into the soil before watering again. If it's still moist, hold off.

▸Could pests be causing my leaves to drop?

Yes — a few common citrus pests can cause leaf drop, discoloration, or curling:

• Aphids — look for sticky residue (honeydew) and curled new growth.
• Scale insects — small waxy bumps along stems and leaf undersides.
• Spider mites — see below; a heavy infestation can cause complete leaf drop on its own.

Both aphids and scale are treatable; if you're not sure what you're looking at, send us a photo and we're happy to help identify it.

▸What about spider mites — how do I know if that's the problem?

Spider mites are tiny (barely visible without a magnifying glass) and are actually more closely related to spiders and ticks than insects, but they can do serious damage to citrus. Look for:

• Fine, faint webbing on the undersides of leaves or between leaves and stems
• Stippled, speckled, or dull yellowing leaves — the mites feed by sucking sap, which gives the foliage a dry, dusty look
• A general decline in vigor with no obvious pest visible to the naked eye

Spider mites thrive in hot, dry conditions — they multiply fastest during dry spells or on trees kept in warm, low-humidity indoor environments over winter, and a heavy infestation can cause complete leaf drop if left unchecked. They tend to slow down in cool, wet weather.

What to do:

• For outdoor trees, a firm spray of water from the hose (focused on the undersides of leaves, where mites congregate) can knock down populations significantly.
• Neem oil or a horticultural oil spray, wiped or sprayed on the underside of leaves, smothers mites effectively and is gentler on beneficial insects than harsher chemical miticides.
• Keeping your tree well-watered and avoiding prolonged drought stress makes it less hospitable to mites in the first place.
• For home citrus, chemical miticides are rarely necessary — they're really only warranted for serious, established infestations. If you're seeing heavy webbing or rapid decline, send us a photo and we can help you assess how serious it is.

▸My tree lost all of its leaves. Is it dead?

Not necessarily. Check the branches: if they're still green and flexible (rather than dry, gray, and brittle), the tree is alive and has a good chance of recovering with the right care, even if it looks completely bare for a while. New growth typically returns once conditions improve and the tree has had time to recover from whatever stress caused the drop.

▸What can I do to help my tree recover from leaf drop?

• Resume a normal, consistent watering routine once you've identified whether over- or under-watering played a role.
• Once new growth starts, feed with a balanced citrus fertilizer to support recovery — see our Care Guides page for our recommendations.
• If your tree is indoors, consider a humidifier or occasional light misting to help offset the drier indoor air.
• Give it time. Recovery from leaf drop is usually measured in weeks to a couple of months, not days.

▸When should I reach out to Brite Leaf for help?

If you're not sure what's causing your tree's leaf drop, or if it's continuing to decline rather than stabilize, send us a photo — it's the fastest way for us to help you figure out what's going on. Please email your name, contact information, and pictures to us, and we're glad to help point you in the right direction.