Heirloom California Navel Oranges
Welcome to the family!
This year, we’re really excited to introduce the California Navel orange to our lineup. As many are aware, the Navel crop in Florida has been greatly affected by ‘greening‘. We are always on the lookout for the best quality fruit and we’ve found that California Navels are exceeding our expectations. These Navels have the classic orange taste that you expect. Easy to peel and seedless, you will probably just eat most of your order right out of the box!
What’s special about these Navels?
This variety is a ‘Washington’ Navel orange, and it has a long history here in this country. In 1870, small graftings were sent from Brazil to the USDA in Washington, D.C. and were sent off to Florida and California. While the Florida crops did not do well, the Navels grown in California flourished. One of the first Washington Navel trees grown in California is still alive and registered as a historical landmark!
From a few sprouts over 150 years ago, to the thriving California citrus industry today, this fruit is a part of history. In fact, some claim that the introduction of the Navel orange to California is possibly the most important plant introduction brought into the United States. The Navels we’ll be delivering to you are descendants of these original Washington trees, an heirloom variety.
Our California Navels will be available to pre-order at the end of January on our website, for an expected delivery at the end of February/early March. We won’t have a huge supply, so don’t wait to get that order in!
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_navel_orange_tree_(Riverside,_California)
