The Florida Orange: A Fruit That Built A State

The Florida orange is the most important crop in the entire state and actually has a huge impact on the country’s produce economy as well. Oranges are the most popular of the five most popular fruits consumed in America and Florida is the top producer. If the Florida crop suffers because of frost or hurricane, the price of orange juice jumps dramatically.

Ninety percent of Florida’s oranges go into juice production. Most of the raw oranges that you find in the grocery store come from California or to a lesser extent Central America. Florida’s oranges, even their version of the Navel which is the most popular eating orange, doesn’t compete well with the California products because of the difference in climates.

Did you know that oranges only turn orange if there is a significant difference in temperature between daytime and night? In Florida, a tropical zone, the nighttime temps aren’t all that less than the daytime so the peel of the orange retains some of the “green” of a new, unripe orange. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the orange, it still retains its good taste and the nutritional value remains, but it’s not as attractive as its Hollywood cousins.

Looks are everything in the retail produce game so the California oranges, which are actually orange, significantly out sell the “re-greening” Floridian oranges. But beauty really is only skin deep. Under that less than perfect peel is a perfect source of vitamins and minerals that are vital to our good health. So if you find yourself in the grocery and all the oranges seem to have a greenish tint, they aren’t bad, their Floridians and they are going to taste great.

At least that’s what the growers, workers, packers and distributors in Florida want you to believe. They’re probably right but the reason they are so concerned is that in Florida, much of the state economy and employment is directly or indirectly related to this fruit. It’s estimated that orange related revenue is in the neighborhood of $40 billion each year or nearly 10% of the state’s total GSP.

One industry in Florida that out produces the orange industry in both dollars and jobs is tourism but even here the orange plays a role. Orange gift baskets make the perfect Florida souvenir and there isn’t a tourist attraction, large or small in Florida that doesn’t sell some kind of orange related product.

There’s some disagreement as to who brought the orange to Florida in the first place. Some say it was the Spanish in 1547 others say it was the French in the early 1800s. Either way, these guys could not have possibly known the impact that their tree planting would have.

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.

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