Oranges
Orange Varieties
Citrus sinensis is commonly known as the sweet orange group. It includes cultured sweet oranges as well as blood and navel oranges.
| VARIETY | SEASON OF MATURITY | SEEDS/FRUIT | FRUIT SIZE | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambersweet (Clementine Tangerine × Orlando Tangelo) | Oct – Dec | Many 10 – 20 | Medium | Moderately thick rind, easily peeled. Flesh tender, deep orange color, good juice. When fruit gets too ripe, it starts to dry. Tree upright, dense foliage. Moderately cold hardy. |
| Blood | Feb – Apr | Few 4 – 10 | Small – Medium 2½” – 2¾” | It has a unique sweet flavor. Rind orange with pink blush. Red pigment is dependent upon cooler temperatures; color may be darker in colder areas. Medium size tree is very productive. Fruit can be round, oval, or oblate in shape. Sanguine streaks of blood; taste and appearance are similar to Valencia. |
| Hamlin | Oct – Jan | Few 0 – 6 | Medium 2¾” – 3" | Most commonly grown early season orange in Florida. 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. |
| Navel | Oct – Jan | Few 0 – 6 | Large 3” – 3½” | It has a lower acid content than most orange varieties. Easily peeled, sections well with excellent flavor. Not suitable for juicing as juice is more sour. Light producer; use pollinator for more fruit. It matures the earliest. |
| Ortanique - Or(ange) tan(gerine) (un)ique (Sweet Orange × Tangerine) | Jan - Apr | Varies 1 – 10 | Medium 2¾” – 3” | Extremely juicy and sweet. Use its fresh fruits for breakfast and salads. Rind is smooth, pale orange color, thin, and oily. Pulp deep orange color. Large size tree with vigorous growth. It closely resembles Temple. |
| Page (Minneola [Duncan × Dancy] × Clementine) | Oct – Feb | Varies 0 – 25 | Small 2” – 2½” | High-quality fruit, very sweet, and excellent for juice. Peel thin. Easily peeled and excessively oily. Moderately vigorous, thornless, heavy producer. Noticeable leaf drop in winter. Cold hardy. |
| Parson Brown | Oct – Feb | Many 10 – 20 | Medium 2¾” – 3” | It produces a good crop of high-quality fruit. Excellent juice fruit, juicy and sweet. Large upright, vigorous tree, bears heavy crop. Fruit is round with smooth, fairly thin, and well-colored rind. **similar to Hamlin** |
| Pineapple | Dec – Feb | Many 15 – 25 | Medium 2¾” – 3” | Sweet orange juice flavor. Medium to large size tree and a heavy producer. Subject to alternate year bearing and pre-harvest drop. Fruit sensitive to frost. **similar to Hamlin** |
| Red Navel | Oct – Jan | Few 0 – 6 | Large 3” – 3½” | Red-colored, very sweet. Attractive in salads, easily peeled. Excellent eating fruit. Tree has compact growth habit. |
| Temple (Royal mandarin) Tangerine × Sweet orange | Jan – Mar | Many 15-20 | Medium 2¾” – 3” | Excellent eating fruit with pebbly, thin rind that peels easily. Peel deep orange to red-orange. Its pulp is orange. High in sugar. Very good mid-season orange. Medium vigor, bushy, thorny, and good producer. Cold sensitive. **similar to Valencia** |
| Valencia Citrus sinensis Valencia | Mar – Jun | Few 0 – 6 | Medium 2¾” – 3” | It represents 50% of the oranges grown in Florida. Very juicy and sweet. Excellent for eating or juice. The last orange variety for the season. Rind remains somewhat greenish when mature with thin and tightly adhering rind. Vigorous upright, large, and very prolific but some tendency to alternate bear. **similar to Temple** |
Note: Nothing requires a pollinator; if it did, it might produce more fruit.
< 25‑30°F, need to protect all citrus. Hard freeze: 28°F > 4 hrs.