Wow, this sounds like a really cool fruit. The Chinese hang the entire fruit as a room freshner. It's also widely used to flavor vodka. Here's a link with photo and article.

Here is a link that might be useful: Buddha's Hand Citron

I know that Grant has this little baby and I believe itis planted outside. Hopefully he will see this post and respond..

Susie

I have one, but either I've grossly insulted it somehow or it's a dud, but it hasn't grown much, and mainly just sits there looking pitiful. I plan to repot it and put it in a slightly better location (although there's nothing wrong wth the one it's in NOW)- I got one fruit year before last, and none this past year. I wish you much better luck than I've had with mine...

I've got about 5 buds on it from when I bought it last week, and I just noticed some more buds getting ready to form. Found an aphid crawling around the planter today. Its now an ex aphid.

I moved the pot into more direct sunlight today, so it has a few hours more. The plants they have at Bakers all have buds and a few actually have some fruit.

I have had a Buddha's Hand for about four years now, in a large pot. Get one or two fruits a year. Strange looking. The plants seem to like a lot of sun, and protection from frost. To see and learn about some neat citrus, the U of A Master Gardener's are presenting their Citrus Clinics this month. I will post the information.

I'm going to try to get this one in as much direct sun as possible once it warms up a bit more.

I really want to try to grow a Rambutan in a pot, I have some seeds but evidently they won't germinate unless you plant them right out of the fruit. So, I'm waiting until they get some fresh ones in at the Ranch 99 store.

Hi there, I love these plants...they're fun. I bought my first one five years ago and it's done really well, flowering and fruting nicely. I have it outside in ground where it gets a bit of dappled light from some nearby desert trees.

The plants are interesting, though they'll never really win a beauty contest as they're a bit lanky and in cooler winters drop a fair bit of foliage, but they have charisma and are fun to grow. The fruit is wonderfully scented as you said. I think I've got a couple of pics of some fruit from mine....if I can find them I'll post them again.

Keep us posted on how yours does for you.

Take care,
Grant

Here are a couple of pics of fruit from mine from last summer (you need to view via the website and not via email).

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Good luck with yours--keep us posted.
Take care,
Grant

My first bud started to open today, and I had my garden expert over to give me some advice. I've had some yellowing and have had a few leaves bitten by a leaf cutter, but he said it looks OK. I got some top fertilizer for it and found out it was grafted to a dwarf plant, which is good, I plan on keeping it potted for a good amount of time.

Continued success with yours. Keep us posted. Mine sheds a lot of leaves during winter so I imagine that's what yours is doing too. It'll have a nice spurt of growth once things really warm up.

Updates are encouraged. :)
Take care,
Grant

Just saw a couple 4-5 foot high trees at Berriges Nursery, of course they were vastly overpriced as is everything there, at about $60 each, compared to the 2 ft high ones at Bakers for $15.

Mine has two buds in blossom now, lots more blossoms starting to grow and a few new leaves coming out.

Nice progress on your h.o.b. Keep us posted. Thanks for the info on sources too--I bought mine at Baker Nursery in 2000. I bought a variegated one off of ebay a couple of years ago and it's done very well too, though the seller now wonders if it's an etrog rather than a hand of Buddha. Guess we'll see if/when it fruits.

Keep us posted on yours. I hand pollinate mine to increase the odds of fruit production.

Thanks for sharing.
Grant

Grant, a question, I have 2 fruit going and another bud blooming, and the 2 fruit are very tiny at this stage but they are mostly purple, its that normal? They do look like tiny buddah's hands but all the fingers are together at this stage.

The plant is now putting buds out all over the place and in a very few places some new leaves. But its still getting some yellow leaves and lost a few last week. Its by no means unhealthy, but I hate to lose leaves, I think of leaves as solar panels on a spacecraft!

In china,the Finger citron is regarded as landsape plant,sell potted.I have one,but it died several monthes.
It looks very beautiful.the leaves are great green,the fruits are from green to yellow,and their shapes are myriad.

Chinese love Feicui Foshou,which refers to propitious.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chinese Foshou(Finger citron)

You may purchase Budda's Hand at Lowe's for $19.99, this is for a 4-5 foot plant, some even have fruits.

I just bought one from Mesquite Valley Growers in Tucson (even though I live in Phoenix). I Just put it in a pot. Is it supposed to take full sun even if it's summer time? I've actually got it in mostly shade right now.

Real nice smell, grows well here.

I still love these plants, LOL, even though I left my old ones at the last garden when I sold that house. I'd keep it in partial shade in summer if it's in a container, and if it's small enough to move into full sun in winter all the better. Good luck and keep us posted!

Take care,
Grant

Sadly, the citron I bought got too much sun, my fault. I was able to save the dwarf blood orange that it was planted next to, and it just made it through its 2nd summer without any problems. Even put out 2 fruit that made it about half way to ripening. Rooted well, its starting to grow up and out a bit and getting stronger.

Would still like to do another citron, maybe if I found a larger one and took the time to shade it better.... Live and learn.