Oranges are the largest citrus crop in the world. In the U.S., oranges are the fourth most popular fruit while orange juice is the most popular juice. The delicious, sweet, juicy oranges that are consumed in the United States first came from China.

Brazil produces the largest amount of oranges and grapefruits in the world!

Oranges have been grown in the United States for about 125 years, but in other parts of the world, oranges have been grown for thousands of years. Many people believe oranges were first grown in southern China and India and then cultivated in North Africa and Spain, Brazil and other South American countries and finally in North America.

Brazil is the leading orange-producing country in the world while Florida and California together produce nearly 25 billion pounds of oranges each year!

Florida oranges may be greener than California oranges because the night temperatures in Florida are warmer, which causes more chlorophyll to migrate into the peel; they are still ripe and sweet though.

There are many varieties of oranges to choose from including navel, red navel, Valencia, Hamlin, pineapple, temple, Moro and amber sweet. Valencia and navel are the two most common varieties. Navel oranges are the most popular "eating" orange in the world because they are seedless, easy to peel, juicy, and sweet.

The bottom of a navel orange looks like a bellybutton or a navel. Fruit specialists believe that the navel is a smaller fruit attached to the main orange. You can see this smaller fruit when you peel and separate a navel orange.

In 1873, three navel orange trees were brought from Brazil and planted in Riverside, California. The trees started producing fruit in 1878. Today, one of the three original trees is still alive and producing fruit!

If ripe oranges are left on the trees for too long, they may turn from orange back to green. This process, called re-greening, only affects color, not nutritional quality or taste.