Orange and lemon trees were already popular ornamental plants at European courts in the 15th and 16th centuries. They were cultivated in pots or glasshouses called orangeries. In warmer countries the species is often planted as an avenue tree.
Which types of orange are known?
There are several types of oranges, including navel oranges (large, sweet and juicy fruits), Valencia oranges (juicy and slightly tart fruits), sugar oranges (low-acid, sweet fruits) and blood oranges (red pulp pigmentation and fruity blackberry aroma). Each orange has its own characteristic properties and flavors.
Large variety of varieties
The orange, Latin Citrus sinensis, shows an almost incredible variety of varieties. There are countless cultivated and wild varieties as well as hybrids, i.e. H. Crosses of different citrus species. The bitter orange, Citrus aurantium L., which is very similar to the sweet orange, differs primarily in its bitter fruits, a specific smell and strongly winged petioles. It is used to make bitter orange jam. Citrus limetta Risso, the sweet lemon or lime, bears small, round fruits with a thin, yellow-green peel and greenish, sweet and sour flesh.
Overview of the citrus family
The citrus fruit family is home to a number of very decorative plants that are ideal for classic container cultivation.
- Lemons
- Sweet Oranges
- Mandarins
- Tangelo and Tangor
- Pomelos and grapefruit
- sweet oranges
- Sweet lemons (limes)
- Kumquats
- Papedas
- Bitter lemons
The main varieties of sweet orange
The most important sweet orange variety groups include navel, Valencia and blood oranges.
Navel oranges have particularly large fruits
Navel oranges are one of the most popular types of oranges. Their large fruits are particularly sweet, juicy and aromatic. A special feature of these species is a small “fruit within a fruit”. The plants produce beautiful, dark green and dense bushes when grown in containers. Navel oranges have strongly scented flowers that appear several times a year.
Juicy Valencia oranges
Valencia oranges are often referred to as juice oranges. The flesh of the tennis ball-sized fruits tastes a little more sour than that of navel oranges, but is very juicy. The oranges ripen extremely late, usually in May or June of the following year. If there is a lot of fruit in container culture, the fruits can remain significantly smaller. Timely fruit thinning in early summer helps to provide the remaining fruits with more nutrients. Orange trees of this variety form a dense, rather spherical crown.
Sweet Sugar Oranges
As with limes and lemons, oranges also have low-acid forms that are grown in some countries as a curiosity or for children. Sugar oranges are often eaten by children or people who cannot tolerate the high acidity of normal citrus fruits. The fruits have a sugar content comparable to normal oranges, but are almost acid-free and therefore taste very sweet.
Fruity Blood Oranges
Blood oranges are striking due to their light red to almost black-brown pigmentation, depending on the variety. The red color of the fruit flesh usually only develops in cold autumn temperatures. When fully ripe, the fruits of the blood orange have a fruity blackberry aroma and are therefore different from normal juice oranges.
Tips & Tricks
The blood orange variety “Tarocco” has larger fruits than other blood oranges, is seedless and also has the highest vitamin C concentration of all citrus fruits.
