Citrus Info

ORANGE – Citrus Variety Info

In this section of citrus varieties the orange is a hybrid of ancient cultivated origin, possibly between pomelo (Citrus maxima) and mandarin (Citrus reticulata).^[2] It is a small flowering tree growing to about 10 m tall with evergreen leaves, which are arranged alternately, of ovate shape with crenulate margins and 4–10 cm long. The orange fruit is a hesperidium, a type of berry.

Note: Nothing requires a pollinator; may produce more fruit if one is available. < 25-30 F, need to protect all citrus. HARD FREEZE: 28 F > 4 hrs.

VARIETY	SEASON OF MATURITY	SEEDS / FRUIT	FRUIT SIZE	COMMENTS
AMBERSWEET	OCT – DEC	MANY 10 – 20	MEDIUM	Moderately thick rind, easily peeled. Flesh tender, deep orange color, good juice. When fruit gets too ripe starts to dry. Tree upright, dense foliage. Moderately cold hardy.
BLOOD	FEB - APR	FEW 4 – 10	SM-MED 2½” – 2¾”	Unique sweet flavor. Rind orange with pink blush. Red pigment in flesh is dependent upon cooler temperatures; darker in colder areas. Medium size tree, very productive. Fruit can be round, oval or oblate in shape. Sanguinelly: Streaks of blood, taste similar to Valencia, fruit appearance same as Valencia.
HAMLIN	OCT - JAN	FEW 0 – 6	MED 2¾” – 3”	Most commonly grown early season orange in FL. Excellent juicy fruit, low acid. Rind is smooth, thin, pale orange, easily peeled. Medium to large tree, moderately vigorous growth, very heavy producer. More cold-tolerant.
ORTANIQUE Or(ange) tan(gerine) (un)ique Sweet orange X tangerine	JAN - APR	VARIES	MED 2¾” – 3”	Extremely juicy and sweet. Used for fresh fruit (breakfast, salads). Rind is smooth, pale orange color, thin & oily. Pulp deep orange color. Large size tree w/ vigorous growth. Closely resembles Temple.
PAGE Minneola [Duncan x Dancy] X Clementine	OCT – FEB	VARIES 0 – 25	SMALL 2” – 2½”	High fruit quality, very sweet, excellent for juice. Peel thin, easily peeled & excessively oily. Moderately vigorous, thornless, heavy producer. Noticeable leaf drop in winter. Cold hardy.
PARSON BROWN	OCT – FEB	MANY 10 – 20	MEDIUM 2¾” – 3”	Produces a good crop of high quality fruit. Excellent juice fruit, juicy and sweet. Large upright, vigorous tree, bears heavy crop. Fruit is round w/ smooth, fairly thin, well-colored rind. similar to Hamlin
PINEAPPLE	DEC – FEB	MANY 15 – 25	MEDIUM 2¾” – 3”	Juice orange: Sweet juice flavor. Med-large tree, heavy producer. Subject to alternate year bearing & pre-harvest drop. Fruit sensitive to frost. similar to Hamlin
RED NAVEL	OCT – JAN	FEW 0 – 6	LARGE 3” – 3½”	Red colored flesh, very sweet. Attractive in salads, easily peeled. Excellent eating fruit. Tree has compact growth habit.
TEMPLE (Royal mandarin) Tangerine X sweet orange	JAN – MAR	MANY 15-20	MEDIUM 2¾” – 3”	Excellent eating quality fruit with pebbly, thin rind that peels easily. Peel deep orange to red-orange. Pulp is orange. High sugars. Very good mid-season orange. Medium vigor, bushy, thorny, good producer. Cold sensitive. similar to Valencia
VALENCIA Citrus sinenais Valencia	MAR – JUN	FEW 0 – 6	MEDIUM 2¾” – 3”	Juice orange. Represents 50% of the oranges grown in FL. Very juicy and sweet. Excellent for eating or juice. The last orange variety for the season. Rind remains somewhat greenish when mature w/ thin & tightly adhering rind. Vigorous upright, large & very prolific but some tendency to alternate bear. similar to Temple