They were eventually introduced to the United States sometime after 2015 and were established as a boutique citrus growing in California. After their release, Red clementines remained localized to Italy and regions of western Europe until the mid 21st century.

The red-flushed fruits were derived from a natural cross between a clemenules mandarin and a tarocco blood orange and were developed in Italy in the late 20th century to create a pigmented seedless mandarin. Red clementines, botanically a part of the Citrus genus, are a hybrid variety belonging to the Rutaceae family.

Red clementines are available in the mid-winter through early spring. Red clementines contain moderate acidity and sugar, creating a balanced, sweet-tart flavor with tangy nuances of berries, tropical fruit, and blood oranges. The flesh is also tender, aqueous, soft, and seedless, releasing a pleasant and refreshing, sweet aroma.

The flesh showcases variegated hues and striations of dark red, pink, orange, to purple, and the color may become more pronounced as the fruit matures. The peel is easily removed as it is loosely attached, and the flesh is comprised of large pulp sacs divided into 10 to 12 segments by thin white membranes. The peel also ranges in color from vibrant orange to red-orange, sometimes blushed with faint red patches. The peel is thin, smooth, taut, and glossy, covered in sunken oil glands giving the surface a pebbled, dimpled appearance. Red clementines are small fruits, averaging 7 to 10 centimeters in diameter, and have a round to ovate shape with curved edges and a slightly flattened top and bottom.

Mandarins and clementines