Pomelo
Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr.
Pomelo (Citrus maxima) is the largest citrus fruit, with a thick rind and juicy sweet-tart segments; many Vietnamese cultivars are famous (Nam Roi, Dien), and the rind and leaves yield fragrant oil.
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Pomelo — PlantPomelo — Whole tree
Pomelo — Fruit & seeds
Pomelo — Flowers
Pomelo — Leaves
Pomelo — Seeds & young plantsPomelo — PlantPomelo — Whole treeOverview
A small tree 5–15 m tall with many thorns on young branches and a broad crown. Leaves are large, ovate and simple with broadly winged petioles; fragrant white flowers grow singly or in clusters. The fruit is very large with a thick green-to-yellow rind, juicy segments and large seeds.
A characteristic mild bitterness comes from the flavonoid naringin; the outer rind holds fragrant limonene oil and is used in sweets, marinades and preserves. Pomelo flowers in spring, ripens in autumn to winter and stores well.
Life cycle
From seed to productSeed
Large seeds sown fresh sprout in 2–4 weeks; seedling trees fruit late, so grafting or layering is common.
Sapling
Thorny, light-loving saplings; grafting preserves good cultivars.
Flowering
Fragrant white flowers open in spring, pollinated by bees and butterflies.
Fruiting
Large fruits ripen in autumn to winter and keep well; grafted trees bear in 3–4 years.
Distribution & origin
Share of recorded occurrences by region- Southeast Asia (native)28%
- Vietnam22%
- China · East Asia20%
- Thailand · South Asia16%
- Americas · Caribbean14%
Chemical composition
Relative content in agarwood resin- NaringinSignature bitterness30%
- LimoneneRind oil24%
- Vitamin CHigh in segments24%
- Nootkatone · othersGrapefruit-mint aroma22%
Uses
- Segments fresh, juiced, in salads
- Rind in sweet soups, preserves, marinades; segments in salads
- Rind oil and cosmetics; ornamental and shade tree
Properties
- Leaf
- Large, broadly winged petiole
- Fruit
- Very large, thick rind
- Flower
- White, fragrant
Habitat & conservation
Native to Southeast Asia; likes a warm tropical to subtropical climate and deep, loose, well-drained soil, grown in lowlands, home gardens and low hills.
Conservation
Not globally threatened (IUCN: Least Concern). Widely grown across Asia and much of the tropics; supply comes mainly from cultivation.
References
- 1Plants of the World Online — Citrus maxima — Kew Science, 2024
- 2IUCN Red List — Citrus maxima — IUCN, 2019
- 3Citrus: A Monograph — Citrus maxima — Springer, 2018
- 4Hình ảnh minh hoạ lấy từ Wikimedia Commons, tôn trọng giấy phép ghi kèm — Wikimedia Commons,
- 5Nguồn ảnh: Forest & Kim Starr (CC BY 3.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
- 6Nguồn ảnh: Goga504 (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
- 7Nguồn ảnh: Amada44 (CC BY 3.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
- 8Nguồn ảnh: Forest and Kim Starr (CC BY 3.0 us), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
- 9Nguồn ảnh: Yercaud-elango (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,