Changsha is pretty good, but not spectacular.

Sweet Kumquats taste better, in my opinion.

All the Satsumas I've tried were pretty tasty, but I've had better oranges and tangerines. I'd do the Changsha over the Satsuma, personally, but it's a toss-up for quality between them. It won't be the best orange, ever. The best-tasting oranges just aren't that cold-hardy. The best you can get is a pretty good orange.

Kumquats are my preference.

Also, Meyer Lemons fresh off the tree are completely different than the wan storebought things, and I would do that long before a Changsha. Fresh Meyer Lemons are really, really good and versatile.

But, if you must have an orange tree, Changsha is a tasty enough fruit, and it is cold-hardy. It's a bit seedier than a Satsuma, but the juice has a better flavor, in my opinion.

(My wife and visited a cold-hardy citrus display orchard a couple weeks ago and snagged a few varieties to taste. We unanimously decided on Meyer Lemon for our small yard. I don't know if we weren't supposed to take fruit, but we did and no one stopped us and we only took a little bit to taste!)

Rob, I would contact Stan McKenzie about good cold tolerant varieties that might be a good choice for you. Stan does some pretty incredible things with citrus. Also, you might want to try to post this over on the Citrus Forum, as there are a few folks on that forum in zones 8 and 7, growing citrus in the ground.

Patty S.

Here is a link that might be useful: McKenzie Farms - Hardy Citrus

badducky, thanks for the helpful info. Sounds like either one is pretty decent.

hoosier, I actually did speak with Mr Mckenzie last night shortly after I had posted this. He was extremely friendly and very helpful. I explained my plan to keep the plants potted for the first couple of years, then plant them outside in a protected location, providing additional winter protection when needed. He felt this would work fine.

So, I think I will go with one Satsuma and one Changsha. Maybe I can keep them alive long enough to get some fruit!

The owari or newer miho satsuma ripen early enough to be possible. This Meyer is giving me a headache though. In the pot, no problems, in the ground it's just not happy. Maybe the soil but the Mandarin is fine. I would suggest a citrangequat as well. Sour fruit is much more useful around the house, juice, salad dressings, seasoning, marmalade etc...