Orange and lemon trees were popular ornamental plants at European courts as early as the 15th and 16th centuries. They were cultivated in tubs or greenhouses called orangeries. In warmer countries, the species is often planted as an avenue tree.
Large variety of varieties
The orange, Latin Citrus sinensis, shows an almost unbelievable diversity of varieties. There are countless cultivated and wild varieties as well as hybrids, i. H. Hybrids of different citrus species. The bitter orange, Citrus aurantium L., which is very similar to the sweet orange, is distinguished above all by its bitter fruits, a specific smell and strongly winged petioles.
It is used to make bitter orange marmalade. Citrus limetta Risso, the sweet lemon or lime, on the other hand, has small, round fruits with a thin, yellow-green skin 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 wonderfully suited to classic tub cultivation.
- Lemons
- sweet oranges
- tangerines
- Tangelo and Tangor
- Grapefruit and grapefruit
- bitter oranges
- Sweet lemons (limes)
- kumquats
- papedas
- bitter lemons
The main varieties of the sweet orange
The main cultivar groups of the sweet orange include navel, Valencia and blood oranges.
Navel oranges have particularly large fruits
Navel oranges are among the most popular orange varieties. Their large fruits are particularly sweet, juicy and aromatic. As a special feature, these species have a small "fruit within the fruit". The plants produce beautiful, dark green and dense bushes in tub culture. Navel oranges have strongly scented flowers that appear several times a year.
Juicy Valencia oranges
Valencia oranges are also often referred to as juicy oranges. The flesh of the fruit, the size of a tennis ball, tastes a little more sour than that of the navel orange, but is very juicy. The oranges ripen extremely late, usually in May or June of the following year. In the case of a rich fruit load in tub culture, the fruits can also remain significantly smaller. Timely fruit thinning in early summer helps to provide more nutrients to the remaining fruit. Orange trees of this variety form a dense, rather spherical crown.
Sugar 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 the 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
Depending on the variety, blood oranges stand out due to their light red to almost black-brown pigmentation. The red color of the pulp 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 and tricks
The blood orange variety "Tarocco" has larger fruits than the other blood oranges, is seedless and also has the highest vitamin C concentration of all citrus fruits.