{"product_id":"weeping-dragon-citrus","title":"Weeping Dragon Citrus","description":"\u003cp\u003eWeeping Dragon is a citrus bred for the eye rather than the fruit bowl, and a young one by citrus standards. Dr. Kim Bowman of the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Fort Pierce, Florida, released the plant in 2016 from a cross of two of the oddest forms in the whole family: 'Flying Dragon', the contorted trifoliate orange whose twisting branches and curved thorns are said to resemble a dragon's claws, and 'Cipo', a sweet orange whose limbs arch over and trail toward the ground. Bowman had spent years working out how that weeping habit passes from parent to seedling. This is where the work landed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe branches spill over and cascade, so a plant in a tall pot or set at the top of a wall reads less like a citrus and more like a small weeping tree. Fragrant white blossoms are followed by dozens of small, sour, orange fruit, handsome against the leaves and better for looking at than eating, though anyone who makes marmalade from sour oranges may find a use for them. Like most trifoliate hybrids, expect thorns, and keep the plant back from a busy path.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCold tolerance has not yet been formally rated. With a trifoliate orange for one parent, Weeping Dragon should prove tougher than an ordinary sweet orange, but until more gardens report in, treat the plant as reliable in the ground in USDA zones 9 and 10 and a fair gamble in a sheltered spot in zone 8. Farther north, grow them in a large container, which shows off the weep anyway, and bring them under cover for hard freezes. Full sun, well-drained soil, and a little room to fall.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA new citrus with a very old kind of charm, the weeping tree, and the one on the terrace that visitors will ask about before they ever notice the fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Woodlanders","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":66719098208371,"sku":"WEEP-DRAG-CITR-01G","price":58.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/woodlanders.net\/products\/weeping-dragon-citrus","provider":"Woodlanders","version":"1.0","type":"link"}