California Orange

Citrus sinensis originated in southern China, where orange trees appear in records from the Han Dynasty around 200 BCE. Chinese emperors received oranges as ceremonial offerings for centuries. Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama returned from India in 1498 carrying the fruit to Lisbon, and traders subsequently spread oranges throughout Europe. The California chapter began in 1769 when Spanish missionaries planted the first citrus seeds in San Diego. The defining moment arrived in 1873 when a hybrid orange tree from Brazil arrived at the Glenwood Mission Inn in Riverside, California. This single tree, later named the Valencia orange, became the world's dominant commercial citrus variety. Its descendants now blanket the state's central valleys and coastal mesas. Today, California's citrus industry generates over $2 billion annually while supplying premium perfumery-grade orange oil to fragrance houses worldwide.