In addition to producing fruit, orange trees are an attractive addition to the landscape.
The orange tree is a medium-sized evergreen that develops bright green leaves and a sweet fruit eaten the world over. It is grown nearly everywhere that a warm climate will allow.
North America
The Spaniards brought the first orange trees to the western hemisphere, initiating plantings in the Caribbean, Mexico and South America. It is possible the French are responsible for the introduction of oranges into what would become the United States. "Spaniards undoubtedly introduced the sweet orange into South America and Mexico in the mid-1500s and probably the French took it to Louisiana," according to the Purdue University Department of Horticulture.
Arizona and California
The orange tree spread across Spanish territory -- in what would eventually become the U.S. -- with the opening of Spanish missions in Arizona between 1707 and 1710. That was followed by introduction of the fruit to California via a San Diego mission in 1769 and the first planting in the Los Angeles area around 1804.
Florida
On the other side of the continent, Florida received its initial stock of orange trees much later in the 19th century. "It was from New Orleans that seeds were obtained and distributed in Florida about 1872 and many orange groves were established by grafting the sweet orange onto sour orange rootstocks," reports Purdue. Today, the U.S. is the leading global producer of oranges.
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