Orange

Orange trees are the most cultivated fruit trees in the world, and oranges are one of the most commonly used fruits. Oranges have not been found in the wild, so their origin is largely unknown. It is speculated that oranges originated somewhere around the border between China and India, since this region is where orange cultivation was first recorded. Oranges were first grown in Asia, but they’ve also been grown in the Middle East for centuries. When oranges were first introduced to Western Europe, sometime in the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century, they were only available to the wealthy, because they were difficult to grow in the dry, temperate climate of Europe. They grew more easily in the Mediterranean, but most orange consumption in Europe was restricted to the very wealthy who constructed special buildings in their estates for the growing of oranges called orangeries. Oranges were highly valued by European sailors, as their high vitamin C content prevents scurvy. Dutch and Spanish merchants planted orange trees on islands along their trade routes. Christopher Columbus is credited with introducing oranges to the Americas when be brought orange seeds with him on his second voyage. Since then, oranges have been cultivated in Florida, and later in California. Today, oranges are grown in massive scales all throughout the world, with Brazil being the biggest orange producer by a wide margin, followed by the US and China which are a distant second and third. Many applications for oranges have been developed beyond simply eating the fresh fruit. Certain types of oranges are grown for particular purposes, such as Bergamot oranges, grown for their peel which is used in teas like Earl Grey. Certain types of pesticides and cleaning products can be derived from the citrus oils of oranges. The wood and flowers are also used in various applications such as medicine, perfume and orange blossom honey, made by bees that consume the nectar of orange blossoms. Due to their many uses and derivatives, oranges have long been the focus of crop development, and their production has become cheaper, meaning that oranges today are more widely available all throughout the year. Valencia and navel oranges are the most common types of orange available, largely because they can be grown in opposite seasons, making oranges can be available all year. Because oranges are grown from coast to coast in North America and all regions have slightly different growing seasons, navels and Valencia oranges are produced nearly year-round. Valencias are produced all year except December and January and navels are produced in all months but July and August.