Yosemite Gold mandarin (TDE #4)

Citrus reticulata Blanco

CRC 3975

PI 539540

VI 509

Photos by Toni Siebert, CVC. Photo rights.  

Source: Received as budwood from the UCR Breeding Program, 1987.

Parentage/origins: Yosemite Gold ^TM (TDE4) is a hybrid with Temple tangor, and Dancy and Encore mandarins.

Rootstocks of accession: Carrizo citrange, C-35 citrange

Season of ripeness at Riverside: January to March

Notes and observations:

Yosemite Gold ^TM (TDE4) is a recently-released (2002) mandarin variety developed within the University of California Riverside citrus breeding program. The tree grows vigorously and is somewhat spreading in form, with a tendency to alternate bearing. It can achieve a moderately-large size at maturity. The large oblate fruits have an attractive smooth dark orange rind that is relatively thin. The flesh is seedless, bright orange, finely-textured and juicy. The flavor is rich and sweet. The season for Yosemite Gold ^TM (TDE4) is January to mid-March and the fruits hold well on the tree into April.

3/11/2008, Mikael Roose and Timothy Williams: Patented (Plant Patent #16,289), late season (mid-February) maturing triploid mandarin hybrid that combines large fruit size, and attractive very deep orange rind color, rich fruit flavor and the virtual absence of seeds even in mixed plantings.  Yosemite Gold mandarin fruit are oblate (moderate flat) in shape, with little or no neck. The average fruit size is large for a mandarin (classed as size 15 by industry packing standards) with a mean width of 75mm (2.95 in.) and a height of 58 mm (2.30 in.), giving a height to width aspect ratio of 0.78, and a mean weight per fruit of 175 grams (6 oz.), heavy for the fruit size. Rind color is very deep reddish-orange with a smooth rind texture for fruit on trees with moderate to heavy crops. Rinds of fruit from trees with very light crops can be excessively rough. The rind is quite easy to peel when fruit are mature. Flesh is deep orange in color with a medium texture. The fruit is moderately juicy averaging 42% juice content and are quite sweet (13% brix in February, 16% in April) with a very rich and very distinctive flavor. Production is very good averaging 700-900 carton/acre.

Description of Yosemite Gold ^TM (TDE4) by M.L. Roose and T.E. Williams

UCR News - Sweet Citrus Varieties with ...

Solids:Acid data on TDE hybrids at various California locations

Availability: Commercially available in California through the Citrus Clonal Protection Program. 

USDA Germplasm Resources Information Network page for Yosemite Gold mandarin

CVC Fruit Quality Data for Yosemite Gold mandarin