What Is the Origin of the Orange Tree?

A grove of orange trees

The orange tree, Citrus sinensis, bears a fruit that continues to be highly prized for the sweet nectar of its fruit. The tree is grown across the world, with the United States serving as the leading production center.

Origin

Southern China, northeastern India and possibly southeastern Asia are believed to be the regions where the orange tree originated, according to Purdue University's Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. The orange tree possibly was carried to the Mediterranean area by Italian traders after 1450 or by Portuguese navigators around 1500. Until then, citrus fruits were valued by Europeans mainly for medicinal purposes, according to Purdue.

Explorers

Christopher Columbus brought the orange to the Caribbean, while Ponce de Leon introduced the fruit to North America in 1613, according to the "Arizona Republic" newspaper. The Spanish continued to distribute the tree throughout the continent, with the tree making its way to Arizona between 1707 and 1710.

North America

The establishment of Catholic missions in California brought the fruit to that state. "A commercial orchard was established in 1841 on a site that is now a part of Los Angeles," according to Purdue University. The famed orange groves of Florida sprang to life in 1872 courtesy of seed stock carted to the state from New Orleans.

References

• Purdue University Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture: Orange
• "Arizona Republic": Origin of "Orange" Comes from Fruit Tree; Jul. 20, 2008