The pomelo (Citrus maxima, means "the biggest citrus"), of the Rutaceae family, is the largest citrus fruit, and the principal ancestor of the grapefruit (hybrid of the pomelo and the orange). It is native to Southeast Asia, it is commonly consumed and used for festive occasions.
Citrus maxima (Pomelo tree)
The pomelo tree may be 5–15m tall, with low-hanging, irregular branches. The elliptic thick leaves are dark green. The flowers are fragrant and yellow-white. The fruit is large from 15 to 25cm, usually weighing 1–2kg. It has a green then yellow skim, thicker than a grapefruit, and is divided into many segments. The flesh tastes like mild grapefruit, with a little of its bitterness. The enveloping membranes around the segments are bitter, and usually discarded. The fruit generally contains a few, relatively large seeds. It requires some months to mature.
Even if the Pomelo tree is firstly grown for its fruits, it also make good screens or espaliers, and with its dense leaf canopy make great shade tree.
Raw pomelo flesh is 89% water, and contains negligible fat , which makes it an ally fruit for the people following diet. One fruit also packs several days’ worth of vitamin C, a powerful immune-boosting antioxidant that helps prevent cellular damage. Pomelo is also rich in other vitamins and minerals, including potassium, which helps regulate fluid balance and blood pressure.
In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that the fruit can reduce abdominal pains, oedema, and phlegm. The leaves are boiled into a lotion and applied on swellings and ulcers. Decoctions of the leaves, flowers and rind is believed to alleviate epilepsy, chorea, and convulsive coughing.
As with all citrus trees, Pomelo tree enjoy full sun, especially hot, rainy climates. The tree is not picky regarding itssoil and will thrive equally in clay, loam, or sand with a highly acidic and highly alkaline pH, as long as it is moist enough. Anyway the first years of planting it is better to ensure watering at least once a week during the hot season.
Pomelo tree grow fast (61 cm per season) and can live from 50-150 years. It is good to prune it sometimes to reduce its heigh and be able to still access to its fruits. Also, during the fructification, the heavy fruits can bend and break the branches, so it is better to support these branches with additional stakes. Some peoples also covers the fruits during their growth with papers to prevent the insects to enter the fruits.