Citrus
Valencia Orange
Citrus x sinensis 'Valencia' · Rutaceae
Also called: Summer Orange, Valencia Late
Valencia Orange (Citrus x sinensis 'Valencia') is a moderate-water citrus well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun, with a moderate growth rate. Expect white blooms spring bloom.
Valencia Orange at a glance
- Water use
- Moderate (established)
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours). Protect young trees and bark from harsh west/southwest afternoon sun; avoid hot reflective walls.
- Mature size
- 18-22 ft tall and wide on standard rootstock; 8-12 ft dwarf/semi-dwarf.
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom
- White, Spring bloom (March-April), sometimes a second flush; long late harvest February/March through July (fruit can hang on the tree for months).
- Cold hardiness
- USDA 9a-9b. Cold-sensitive like other sweet oranges (injury below ~26-28 F); because fruit ripens spring-summer it largely escapes winter freeze damage to the crop, but trees still need frost protection when young.
- Soil
- Well-drained desert soil; tolerant of alkalinity but intolerant of soggy roots and caliche pans. Mound-plant in heavy soil.
- Native range
- Cultivar of sweet orange (C. x sinensis), a hybrid of Asian origin; the Valencia selection was popularized in the U.S. from the 1870s.
- Best used as
- Juicing (the classic juice orange), Fresh eating, Edible landscape, Pollinator forage
- Wildlife
- Bees work the fragrant spring bloom; birds and javelina take fallen fruit.
- Toxicity
- Fruit edible and safe for humans. Peel oils, leaves, and seeds can be toxic to dogs, cats, and horses in quantity; some strains have small thorns.
How to grow Valencia Orange in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Deep, infrequent watering to about 3 ft: every 7-10 days in summer heat, every 2-3 weeks in spring/fall, every 4-6 weeks in winter. Because fruit holds on the tree into summer, keep summer irrigation consistent to avoid splitting and drop. Irrigate at the dripline.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Apply about 1-1.5 lb actual N per year to a mature tree in three splits (Jan-Feb, Mar-Apr, May-Jun); no late-season nitrogen. Treat iron/zinc/manganese deficiency (yellowing leaves) common in Tucson's alkaline soils with chelated micronutrients.
Pruning & care
Light only: remove deadwood, suckers below the graft, and crossing limbs; shape after harvest. Maintain a leafy canopy and skirt to shade bark and fruit from sunburn.
Notes
The 'summer orange' of the low desert: rich, sweet-tart juice and the longest hang time of the common oranges. Self-fruitful. May develop slight regreening of rind in late spring (cosmetic only). Plant fall through early spring in Tucson in a warm, frost-drained spot.
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension az1850 'Oranges for Southern Arizona' (G. Wright); University of Arizona Cooperative Extension az1001 'Low Desert Citrus Varieties'; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension 'Citrus Fertilization Chart for Arizona'; AMWUA Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert