I think you will need to taste them first to make a decision. Are you planning on squeezing at all? Or eating out-of-hand? You don't say what time of year you want fruit. Maybe it doesn't matter.

You might post in Florida regional forum as well. Find out what all grows well in your region, make a list, obtain fruit and taste.

Do you like Minneola tangelo? It's a hybrid of Duncan grapefruit x Dancy tangerine hybrid . The Grapefruit contribution adds some 'zest'. But it may not be hardy in your region? At peak, it may be too sweet for you, but picked earlier it should be quite zesty.

Hope other north Florida folks weigh in for you. Citrus taste can be influenced partly by the region in which it is growing (climate, soils). So , it may not be helpful to get a Californian's opinion. Don't know. Also, you might have to see what is available to you in your state.

I want some mandarin trees to simply eat the mandarins. I don't plan on squeezing or juicing. I'll just eat them right off the tree. But I want varieties you can't find in stores, and the varieties with the most flavor.

After a bit more research, I think the Page Mandarin might be a good choice for me flavor wise. And maybe Lee as well. A Page is a hybrid of Mineola Tangelo and Clementine. Lee is a hybrid of Orlando Tangelo and Clementine. On the University of Florida of website, they say that Page should have a pollinizer such as Lee nearby, and Lee should have a pollinizer such as Page nearby. So that seems like a match made in heaven- Page and Lee together. Read the UF's recommendations here: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ch067 and here: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ch080

But I'm still looking for others. As of now I am thinking I should get Page, Lee, Kishu (if I can find one), Gold Nugget (if I can find one), and Ponkan. Maybe Owari Satsuma as well.

And yes, I do like Mineola Tangelos of course. Are they known as Honeybelles? I've had some good honeybelles before. And actually, I would say I like all citrus. But I want the best of the best, most concentrated flavor varieties. If Mineola Tangelo is more powerfully flavored than Mandarins and Tangerines, then I will get one. But Mineola Tangelos are not too hard to find in stores here in Florida either, so I might pass on that.

Sounds like you're on the right path. It also sounds like you have some room for multiple trees, so you ought to consider when the fruit ripen. Proper selection can keep you supplied with fresh citrus from late Fall, throughout winter, into Spring and on....unless you happen to have a really bad frost.

We get Fall-Glo tangerines in the stores up here in late Fall. I think they all come from Florida. I LOVE them for juice, but I consider them too seedy to eat out of hand. It's a Bower ( tangerine x tangelo hybrid) crossed with Temple ( likely a tangerine x orange hybrid). So a very complex hybrid.

Harris Citrus is where I will be purchasing from. Look at all the varieties! Mandarins http://www.harriscitrus.com/store/index.php?cPath=5 Tangerines http://www.harriscitrus.com/store/index.php?cPath=21 So hard to choose just a select few...

Bower Mandarin: http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/bower.html. Sounds tasty. Never heard of it, and it's not available in Florida anywhere I've seen even though it was developed here.

Too many to choose from! I've heard CA people rave about seedless Kishu, but don't know how it does in FL.

If I only had room for three trees and I lived in FL, I'd probably grow an early-ripening Satsuma (Owari or maybe Early St. Ann) or Kishu, a mid-winter ripening mandarin or hybrid such as Page, and then a Spring ripening Minneola Tangelo or maybe an Encore Mandarin (very late). But I'm just fantasizing!

You might check into Ponkan too, as it apparently does well in FL. Gets good reviews.

Do a search in this Forum for 'best mandarins' and read the raves.

Whichever cultivars you decide on, they will concentrate their flavors the longer you leave them on the tree. My Washington navels taste ok around mid Dec. but are knockouts in early Feb.

Also just found out about the new Sugarbelle variety of mandarin developed at UF. http://www.ffsp.net/varieties/citrus/sugar-belle-lb8-9/ Its a hybrid of mineola tangelo and spanish clementine. After the reviews I found of it, Im definitely getting one, or two. They say it is a very deep, complex, robust flavor. Im guessing tastes similar to Page (maybe even better), but is more disease resistant. So maybe I should forget about the Page/Lee combo and just get some sugarbelles?

Are ponkans mild tasting? Are satumas? If so, I would rather avoid those. Im looking for a tangy, zesty, robust, powerful, deep, rich, strong, (and also sweet) flavored variety. I guess Dancy, Page, and Sugarbelle are the flavors Im after, but not sure if theres more tangy flavored varities. Temple?

I think I am getting closer to making a decision as to what I'm actually going to put in my yard. As of now, this is my list for what I'll plant:

1. Dancy Tangerine

2. Temple Orange (pollinator variety, and supposedly good tangy taste)

3. Page Orange (mandarin)

4. Sugarbelle Mandarin

5. Kinnow Mandarin (Indian variety, supposed to be strong flavored)

6. Duncan Grapefruit (In the backyard, separate from all the tangerine/mandarin/oranges)

I am thinking about not planting the Lee Tangerine because I have read it has mild flavor. Can anyone confirm this?