The Navel Orange in America

After the Ruby Red Grapefruit, the navel orange is probably the most popular fruit mutation in history. Discovered in 1820, it was the first orange that was not deliberately cultivated. What we mean is that it is a seedless mutation that cannot be planted. Now, not all fruit mutations are seedless, but the ones that are are sterile.

This means that you cannot simply put them in the ground and wait for them to bear fruit. The method that is used to grow the navel orange is called grafting. It really is quite simple. A farmer takes a budding branch and grafts it onto a healthy citrus tree. It need not even be an orange tree. The navel orange can grow on a lemon, a lime or even a grapefruit tree. On average, it takes about five years before the tree starts producing oranges.

Why go through all the trouble? That’s an excellent question. After all, there are over six hundred other varieties of oranges that can be grown from the ground. What makes the navel orange so special?

The aesthetic angle certainly doesn’t hurt. Navel oranges are easy to identify. Really, they didn’t get their name for nothing. Each navel orange has a bloom end that looks an awful lot like a human belly button, hence the name. It is also important to note that because the navel orange is sterile, each tree that was grown after the first is a perfect genetic match. In short, they are clones.

Of course, identical genetics does not mean that each navel orange you eat tastes exactly the same as the one that came before it. After all, there is climate, duration and fertilizer to consider. But it is safe to say that the taste of navel oranges is far more consistent than other varieties that are not genetically identical.

Since it was discovered, the navel orange has been one of the most popular fruits in the country, especially in the fresh fruit market. It was integral to the growth of the orange industry in the United States. However, it was not the first orange variety that was cultivated in America.

The orange was first brought to Florida by Spanish explorers in the early 16th century. The variety that was originally grown was called the sweet orange, which is still the world’s most popular orange. It would be another three centuries before Florida built a profitable orange industry with the help of descendents of the sweet orange like the Valencia and the navel orange.

At last count, Florida produced around two-thirds of the oranges in the United States. That is about five million tons of oranges a year. Most of the fresh oranges that are send to supermarkets are navels, while the Valencia orange is used for juicing. Florida is responsible for over ninety percent of the nation’s orange juice.

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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