‘Orri’ mandarin is a hybrid selected from irradiated budwood after a series of crossings originating from Temple tangor and ‘Kinnow’ mandarin oranges.
Photo by Peter Chaires
The status of the ‘Orri’ mandarin permeated 2020 coffee shop talk among specialty citrus fruit growers. It was widely known that the patent had expired, and it was uncertain whether ‘Orri’ would become public domain or continue forward as a managed variety. Though growers continue to commit resources to trialing new experimental selections and hone their production practices with recently released Florida varieties, many are interested in planting specialty varieties with production and marketability track records in the near-term. The ‘Orri’ mandarin is one of the varieties that is getting increased attention.