A Brief History of the Honeybell Orange
The Honeybell orange is one of the rarest and most sought after fruits in America. It was developed by researchers in Florida who were studying fruit hybridization. The growing demand for oranges encouraged interesting experiments in labs across the state. The Honeybell is one of their great success stories.
Though often referred to as an orange, the Honeybell is only half orange. Technically, it is classified as a tangelo, which means that it is half tangerine and half grapefruit. Since the tangerine is a small variety of the Mandarin orange, and most people don’t know what a tangelo actually is, it the Honeybell was incorrectly called an orange.
When it was first released to growers in Florida in 1931, the public didn’t quite know what to make of it. The Honeybell was unlike any orange or fruit they had ever seen. It had the size of a grapefruit and the color of an orange. Not to mention a bell-shaped bud end; which is how it got its name. Then people ate them.
The Honeybell orange was an instant hit with fruit lovers across Florida. It was prized for its size, sweetness, and juiciness. There was only one problem, the Honeybell was and is extremely sensitive. Slight variations in temperature or an early frost can kill off entire crop. As a result, the fruit can only be cultivated in specific regions of the country. Even today, the overwhelming majority of Honeybell orange trees grow along a section of the Indian River in Florida.
The fruit is so sensitive that it must be picked by hand and packed in special trays, like eggs. Few growers have the patience for the mercurial Honeybell orange. Staff must be specially trained to care for them. Then there is the fact that they are only ripe for two to four weeks during the year. One bad crop can spell financial disaster for the orchard owner. On the other hand, a bumper crop is worth its weight in gold. It really is a gamble.
Customers don’t have it much easier. The Honeybell orange is one of the hardest fruits in America to find. Most fruit lovers place the orders weeks, even months in advance of the harvest season. The internet has given out-of-state Honeybell connoisseurs a fighting chance. Before electronic ordering, the fruit could only be purchased if you lived in Florida. But online commercial orchards offer shipping to nearby states.
Expect to pay through the nose for them. Due to their rarity and the high demand, Honeybells are considered a delicacy. The going rate for half a tray of fruit (just five tangelos) is over twenty dollars! That’s more than four dollars for each Honeybell orange, not including shipping!
Taste the Sunshine with Hale Groves
At Hale Groves, we believe the best gifts come from the land, not a factory. For generations, our fruit has been grown slowly under the Florida sun, picked at its peak, and delivered fresh to your door. From sweet Navel Oranges to rare Honeybells, every gift shares the simple joy of real flavor—perfect for holidays, milestones, or everyday moments worth celebrating.
Shop Now