Sour orange
Native to: Southeast Asia
Many citrus species have been introduced to Florida since the 1800s and today the state is one of the world’s largest agricultural producers. This particular variety is widely grown as a rootstock for other citrus varieties because of its disease resistance and hardiness. Its fruit is sour and inedible but is used for making marmalades and liquor. It has escaped cultivation and can be found scattered in forests of peninsular Florida as well as at old homestead sites.
Family: Rutaceae
Habit: Evergreen tree, up to 30 feet tall.
Leaves: Fragrant, usually ovate, 2 1/2 to 5 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 to 4 inches wide, minutely toothed, dark green in color above, pale beneath.
Flowers: Large white fragrant flowers about 1 1/2 inches wide singly or in small clusters with 5 white petals that look like a star surrounding a tuft of up to 24 yellow stamens.
Fruit: Round, with an aromatic, thick peel, rough-surfaced, becoming bright reddish-orange on maturity.
Distribution in Florida: Throughout the peninsula
No negative impacts have been documented although the UF IFAS Assessment of Non-Native Plants does consider it a caution species and suggests managing to prevent its escape from home landscapes and agricultural areas.
Consult your local UF IFAS Extension Office for management recommendations.
UF IFAS Assessment of Non-Native Plants in Florida’s Natural Areas