It is one of the so called 'Shisei' (four major family names particularly in the Heian period) and original names, and the clan had produced many Kugyo (high court nobles) for generations until the mid-Heian period, however, after that, the Tachibana clan stopped holding the position of Kugyo, and after that, the clan had lost its influence.
いわゆる四姓、本姓の一つであり、平安時代中期まで代々公卿を輩出したが、その後は橘氏公卿が絶え、以後振るわなかった。