Poncirus trifoliata ‘Snow Dragon’

Snow Dragon Japanese Bitter Orange is primarily grown for its highly ornamental fruit. The fruits are showy orange pomes carried in abundance in mid summer. It has attractive white-variegated dark green foliage with hints of creamy white which emerges light green in spring. The glossy oval compound leaves are highly ornamental and turn gold in fall. It features showy clusters of lightly-scented white star-shaped flowers at the ends of the branches in early spring before the leaves.

Landscape Attributes

Snow Dragon Japanese Bitter Orange is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats.

Planting & Growing

Snow Dragon Japanese Bitter Orange will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.