Origin

• The orange tree doesn't grow in the wild. It was most likely cultivated in Asia or India from pomelo and tangerine trees. It was introduced to the Mediterranean area by Italian traders or Portuguese navigators in the 1500s. Immediately prized for the fruit, by the 1700s traders had introduced the tree to the United States, specifically Florida. Today, the United States leads in world production of oranges with Florida producing an annual yield of over 200 million boxes.
  
  

Description

• A compact little tree, the orange is evergreen and grows only 20 or 30 feet tall. The blossoms arrive in clusters of one to six flowers in spring, with the oranges arriving the following fall or winter. It isn't uncommon to see new spring blossoms on a tree still bearing fruit. This prolific nature resulted in the flowers becoming symbols of fruitfulness and good fortune, which made orange blossom a popular choice for wedding flowers in the 1800s.
  
  

Uses

• The caterpillar of the swallowtail butterfly, North America's largest butterfly, is dependent on orange blossom and other citrus flowers for food. Bee keepers frequently place their hives in the orchard while the blossoms are in bloom to make the coveted orange blossom honey. The flowers are distilled for delicately scented water used in cooking, perfumes and incense. The orange tree is a beautiful and aromatic specimen tree for gardeners in zones 9 to 11.
  
  

Threats

• The orange tree is not immune to the many fungal diseases that attack the trunk, roots, fruit, flowers and foliage of the citrus species. Viruses are also common, and of specific danger to orange trees are citrus cankers. Orange trees afflicted with cankers must be burned to prevent spread of the disease. The number one cause of death to new orange trees in Florida is blight (also known as young tree decline).