Did you know that there are several types of citrus grown in Florida? There are oranges (of course!), grapefruit, tangerines and tangelos (a cross of pomelo - a relative of the grapefruit, and tangerine).
If you're visiting Florida between October and June, you can sometimes find them for sale on the side of the road or even some "pick your own" farms.
A link to help you find some farms or places to buy can be found here
It was the early Spanish explorers that first planted the citrus trees in the 1500's, and commercial expansion happened around 300 years later when the railroads opened which helped to distribute crops across the country.
As frosts can sometimes be a problem in Central Florida (notably in 1894 and 1895 when many farmers lost their crops), most citrus is grown in the lower third of Florida, although Polk County is still the highest producing county in the State.
Florida is actually second to Brazil in the global orange production, although produces the most in the US.
In 2006, 74% of oranges were from here with 95% of that being made into mostly processed orange juice.
If you're visiting during March, you may be fortunate enough to drive past an orange grove & breathe in the heavy scent of this flower - there's nothing quite like it!
The blossom of the orange is also the Florida State Flower:)
