Bicol businessman surprised after calamansi tree bears unusually large fruits

A businessman in Bato, Camarines Sur, was left astonished after one of his calamansi trees began producing fruits that were two to three times larger than the usual size.

According to Kuya Kim’s report in “24 Oras” on Tuesday, Paul Canada, who grows calamansi for use in his family's business, said they initially planted the trees so they would no longer need to buy the citrus fruit from the market.

“Para hindi na kami bumili ng calamansi, ito na 'yung ginagamit namin para sa aming tindahan,” Canada shared.

“Normally, ang na-harvest namin sa kanya ay 'yung mga typical size na puno lang ‘yung kalamansi,” he added.

However, Canada noticed that some of the fruits started growing much larger than normal.

“May mga bunga po na doble na 'yung size, may triple na po 'yung size niya compared sa regular size ng calamansi,” Canada shared.

“Nagulat po kami, nag-try kaming pumitas ng isang bunga, tapos marami siyang juice. Ngayong January, February 2026, maliit lang po talaga 'yung bunga niya, kalamansi lang talaga. Nagulat kami, July, lumaki nang lumaki 'yung ibang bunga,” he added.

He also emphasized that they did not use chemical fertilizers on the tree. Instead, they regularly placed fruit peels, including banana and mango scraps, allowing them to decompose naturally as compost.

Calamansi, also known as calamondin or Philippine lime, is a citrus fruit believed to be a hybrid between the mandarin orange and kumquat. It is widely used in Filipino cooking and is valued for its tangy flavor and high vitamin C and antioxidant content.

Meanwhile, a botanist said several factors could explain why Canada’s calamansi fruits grew unusually large.

“First is 'yung variety. Maaaring hindi talaga siya truly na calamansi, it can be other citrus species. Pangalawa is 'yung soil fertility. Maaari na because of enrichment of the soil, kaya ganun,” said botanist Florence Roy Salvana.

“Kasama din po 'yung water adequacy. Pwede din po 'yung other factors, just like 'yung fruit thinning. Ibig sabihin, hindi lahat ng flower ay nagde-develop into a fruit,” he added.

The botanist also said that the application of organic materials may have also contributed to the unusually large calamansi fruits.

“Pwede po na nakaka-enrich siya, particularly siguro ng nitrogen. Kasi 'yun din po, 'yung primary involved doon sa fruit development,” Salvana said.

“Pwede 'yung ginawa niyang paglalagay ng organic materials, doon po nakita 'yung effect ng soil enrichment sa pag-develop ng malalaking fruits.” he added.

According to Salvana, the oversized calamansi fruits are considered safe to eat despite their unusual size.

—Jade Veronique Yap/CDC, GMA News