The scent of an orange grove in full bloom is intoxicating, and when the trees flower, they hum with bees.
Oranges provide convenient packages of vitamin C that people can enjoy as fresh fruit (which is high in fibre) or juice. Oranges also contain useful quantities of potassium. Kids usually love them but, as the fruit is difficult to peel, they are more likely to eat oranges when someone peels or cuts them into quarters. Although we tend to think of oranges as fruiting trees, they also bear extremely fragrant white flowers in spring. The scent of an orange grove in full bloom is intoxicating, and when the trees flower, they hum with bees.
Orange
Common name: Orange
Botanical name: Citrus x aurantium (Syn. C. sinensis)
Family: Rutaceae
Aspect and soil: Sun; well-drained soil
Best climate: Mediterranean, temperate, subtropical
Habit: Evergreen tree
Propagation: Grafting, budding
Difficulty: Moderate
Varieties
Oranges vendors sell grafted trees that are two to three years old. Gardeners can plant them throughout the year, but they find plants plentiful in autumn, winter, and early spring. If you have space, select several varieties to extend the cropping season. ‘Washington Navel’ begins to ripen in winter. It is seedless, easy to peel, sweet and juicy. Great for eating and long cropping, the navel orange is the orange with the distinctive “belly button” base.
‘Valencia’ is popular for juicing and eating and a great garden choice as the fruit hangs on the tree from winter to early summer. There’s also a seedless variety (‘Seedless Valencia’) for those who don’t enjoy orange pips. For marmalade lovers, the best variety to grow is the ‘Seville’ orange, a bitter orange that fruits in early spring. And those who love freshly squeezed orange juice can invest in a blood orange, which has red juice. Blood orange fruit is also plentiful in spring.
Getting Started
To get the best fruit, plant trees in a sunny but sheltered spot with deep, well-drained soil. If the trees