It has lovely fruit but as it starts to ripen, the fruit splits open on the bottom. A. Fruit split in citrus is usually caused by changes in weather or soil moisture content, says UC master gardener Carol Bowden. High humidity after a dry period can be a trigger.
Splits depend on size and quality of crop and varies from year to year.
More fruit will split with extremes in soil moisture and if the soil is allowed to dry out between irrigations. Q. A tree in my back yard blooms white in early spring before it leafs out, and in early summer forms round yellow fruits a little larger than cherries. My dog has downed a few, so I'm hoping they are not toxic. Based on the snapshot and description of the tree's growth pattern and fruit, UC master gardener Bill Pierce says he believes the tree to be Crataegus flava, known as summer hawthorne or yellow hawthorne. The fruit is used to make jelly.