Plant family: Rutaceae
Plant origin: Asia.
Fruit description: Blood Oranges ripen in Winter and Spring, they are a mid-season fruit, with a large, delicious, and juicy fruit. The average size of the fruit is 12cm, they have a thin reddish skin which is fairly easy to peel. Blood Oranges have an excellent flavour and eating quality which is low-acid, the flesh is a distinct crimson colour, and they can easily be used for making a magnificent dark-red juice. Blood Oranges grow up to a height of 6 metres, and are evergreen, glossy, thick and bushy. They flower in spring, with a profusion of fragrant white blossoms. Blood Oranges can grow in any climate which does not have many severe frosts below minus 5 degrees C, such as cool, temperate, subtropical and tropical climates. The Blood Orange dark crimson flesh colour, continues to increase from Winter to Spring, until it has the darkest flesh colour. Our variety of Blood Orange has flesh that colours to a dark crimson in any climate.
Flowers: The flowers are produced in Spring in large numbers. Bees love them. They are waxy white and deliciously fragrant.
Growing conditions: The orange is an evergreen tree, up to 4 metres in height. It looks beautiful in any garden with its bright fruit, dark green leaves and perfumed flowers. You can prune it to the size and shape you want, but you do not need to prune the tree. Fruit is produced on the previous season's growth. Oranges grow very well and look great in a pot. Oranges like well-drained, well-prepared soil and plenty of sunshine. Oranges tolerates frost well but if it is very frosty, protect the young tree until it is established. Protect the young tree also from strong or constant winds. Water deeply and regularly when flowering or setting fruit to ensure good juicy fruit. Fertilise the established plant at least twice a year, or more often with less fertiliser. Do not allow mulch to touch the stem or it can cause rot.
Uses: As well as being a delicious, refreshing, juicy snack when eaten fresh or juiced, oranges have many cooking uses, including cakes, biscuits, icing, juice, salad, pickles, marmalade, marinades, dips, complimenting other fruits, vegetables, some meat dishes. In cooking, use the flesh, the juice or the zest - even the leaves are good in a curry. Dried peel is used in Chinese cooking. The juice is very sweet and some varieties are also quite acidic. Oranges are rich in vitamin C. Orange petals can be used to make orange blossom water, used in Middle Eastern cooking.
Medicinal uses: The juice can relieve the symptoms of a cold, especially when mixed with hot water and honey.
Pollination requirements: Self-Pollinating.
Harvest time Oranges are hard and green when unripe, and bright orange when ripe with a slight give when the skin is gently squeezed. Some varieties retain the fruit on the tree with no loss of quality. Others drop the ripe fruit. Pick them when they are ripe, with clippers, and leave a bit of stem on. They keep quite well at room temperature, better under refrigeration or in a cool, ventilated place.
Plant relatives Related to other citrus species including Lemon, Lime, Mandarin, Orange, Tangelo, Tangerine, Kumquat, Finger Lime, Kaffir Lime, Grapefruit, Buddha’s Hand Citron, Calamondin, Variegated Calamondin, Pummelo
Special features:
Grown by method: Grafted Pot size: 6 litre
Plant growing Height and Width for pots or in the ground planting: Grows to 2 metres high by 2 metres wide if Planted in a Pot. Grows 4 metres high by 4 metres wide if Planted in the Ground.
Shipping plant pot or planter bag size: 6 litre
