A tangerine is a small, easy-to-peel variety of mandarin orange. While any tangerine tree is naturally capable of producing seeds, the majority of tangerines found in grocery stores are specifically cultivated to be seedless or nearly seedless. This market reality results from both natural biological traits within the Citrus genus and specialized agricultural practices.
The Natural Presence of Seeds in Citrus
The presence of seeds in any citrus fruit, including the tangerine, is the direct outcome of sexual reproduction. Citrus flowers, like those of most fruit trees, contain both male and female parts and must be pollinated for fertilization to occur. Pollen is typically transferred between flowers, often by insects like honey bees, stimulating the ovules to develop into seeds while the surrounding ovary swells into the fruit.
A tangerine grown in an uncontrolled environment usually produces seeded fruit, especially if other fertile citrus trees are nearby. Cross-pollination often leads to a higher fruit set and the formation of numerous seeds. The number of seeds found inside a fruit is a biological record of successful pollination and fertilization. Wild-type tangerines, such as the classic ‘Dancy’ variety, are naturally seedy.
Cultivating Seedless Tangerines
Commercial growers achieve seedless tangerines by using a combination of plant genetics and controlled growing conditions. They primarily select cultivars that are either naturally low in seeds or possess genetic traits that make them sterile. For example, varieties like the ‘Owari Satsuma’ and ‘Gold Nugget’ are naturally low-seeded mandarins that are highly valued in the industry.
A key biological mechanism used to produce these fruits is parthenocarpy, the ability of a plant to develop fruit without fertilization. Some mandarin varieties exhibit this trait, allowing the fruit to form without viable seeds inside. Other seedless varieties are self-incompatible, meaning their own pollen cannot fertilize their ovules. This results in seedless fruit unless they are cross-pollinated by a different, fertile variety.
To maintain the seedless characteristic, commercial orchards implement controlled growing environments. This involves planting large, isolated blocks of a single seedless cultivar or using specialized netting to exclude pollinating insects like bees. Preventing the transfer of fertile pollen from seedy varieties is necessary to maximize the yield of unseeded fruit. Since these seedless trees cannot reproduce sexually, new trees are propagated asexually through grafting onto a hardy rootstock.
Why Seedlessness Dominates the Market
The preference for seedless tangerines is driven by economic and consumer factors rather than biological necessity. Consumers value seedless fruit for its convenience, making it easier to eat out of hand or pack for snacks without the disruption of seeds. This demand for an effortless eating experience significantly influences which varieties are grown and sold.
For the food industry, seedlessness is a major advantage in processing applications like juicing and canning. The absence of seeds simplifies machinery and prevents bitter compounds from leaching into the juice. Commercial grading systems often assign a higher value to seedless fruit, incentivizing growers to eliminate seeds. This combination of consumer preference and commercial efficiency has made the seedless tangerine the standard offering in produce aisles.