Red Navel Orange Tree – Live Citrus Plant, 1 Gallon Pot, 1 Feet Tall

Overview

Experience the joy of harvesting your own fresh fruit with this beautiful red navel orange tree. This vibrant live sweet orange tree is a fantastic addition to any garden or patio, bringing both ornamental beauty and delicious, healthy produce. Known for its distinct red-orange flesh and sweet, juicy flavor, the navel orange is a favorite among citrus enthusiasts. Our young citrus plant care involves careful cultivation to ensure a healthy start, arriving ready for planting and thriving in your home. Perfect for those who appreciate fresh, homegrown food, this tree promises a rewarding growing experience and abundant harvests of exceptional quality fruit. Enjoy the refreshing taste and vibrant color of your own red navel oranges, a true delight for any home gardener.

This particular variety is often associated with the ‘Cara Cara’ type, celebrated for its unique coloration and rich taste, offering a delightful alternative to traditional navel oranges. As a young plant, it represents the potential for years of fruit production, enhancing your landscape with its glossy green leaves and fragrant blossoms before the fruit even begins to ripen. Growing your own citrus also means you control the growing conditions, ensuring your fruit is as natural and flavorful as possible.

Key Benefits

Bringing a red navel orange tree into your home or garden offers numerous advantages beyond just fresh fruit. These benefits make it a truly rewarding plant to cultivate.

• Delicious Homegrown Fruit: Enjoy the unparalleled taste of fresh, sweet, and juicy red navel oranges picked directly from your own tree. The flavor and freshness far surpass store-bought varieties, making every harvest a special treat.
• Beautiful Ornamental Value: With its lush, evergreen foliage and fragrant white blossoms, this live sweet orange tree adds significant aesthetic appeal to any space, whether it’s a sunny garden bed or a large container on a patio.
• Rich in Nutrients: Navel oranges are packed with Vitamin C, antioxidants, and other essential nutrients, contributing to a healthy diet. Growing your own ensures a consistent supply of these healthful fruits.
• Rewarding Gardening Experience: Cultivating a fruit tree from a young plant to a mature, fruit-bearing specimen is incredibly satisfying. It connects you with nature and provides a tangible reward for your efforts.
• Fragrant Blooms: The tree produces highly aromatic white flowers, typically in late winter to early spring, filling your outdoor or indoor space with a delightful citrus scent. This adds another sensory layer to its appeal.
• Versatile Growing Options: While ideal for USDA Zones 9-11, this citrus plant care allows it to be grown in large pots in cooler climates, enabling you to move it indoors during colder months. This flexibility makes it accessible to many gardeners.
• Potential for Multiple Uses: Beyond eating fresh, the oranges can be used in juices, desserts, marmalades, and culinary dishes, offering diverse ways to enjoy your harvest. Understanding navel orange benefits can inspire many creative uses.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Proper citrus plant care is essential for ensuring your red navel orange tree thrives and produces abundant fruit. This variety, often similar to a cara cara orange plant in its needs, requires specific conditions to flourish. It thrives in full sun, needing at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. If growing indoors, place it in your brightest window or supplement with a grow light. Consistent watering is crucial; the soil should be kept moist but never waterlogged. Water deeply and regularly, allowing the top inch or two of soil to dry out slightly between waterings. Good drainage is paramount to prevent root rot, so ensure your pot has drainage holes or your garden soil is well-amended.

The ideal temperature range for a live sweet orange tree is between 55 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. In regions outside of USDA Zones 9-11, container growing is recommended so the plant can be brought indoors during cold snaps. Use a well-draining potting mix specifically formulated for citrus plants or a general-purpose potting mix amended with perlite or sand for improved drainage. Fertilize regularly during the growing season (spring through fall) with a balanced citrus-specific fertilizer, following the product instructions. Watch out for common pests like aphids or scale; treat promptly with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap. Pruning can be done to maintain shape, remove dead or crossing branches, and encourage better air circulation and fruit production. Understanding these care requirements will help maximize your harvest and the vitality of your red navel orange tree.

Size & Details

This red navel orange tree is a vigorous young plant, typically standing about 1 foot tall when shipped, and is established in a 1-gallon nursery pot. This size provides a robust root system ready for transplanting into a larger container or a suitable garden spot. While compact at arrival, with proper care, this live sweet orange tree can grow to a mature height of 10-20 feet in the ground, or a more manageable 6-10 feet when grown in a large container. The growth rate is moderate, allowing you to enjoy its development over time. It typically begins bearing fruit within 2-3 years, with blooming occurring in late winter to early spring. The fruit usually ripens from late fall through winter, offering a fresh harvest when other fruits are scarce. This cara cara orange plant type is known for its consistent production once mature. The tree’s overall dimensions when mature can vary based on pruning and growing conditions, but it generally forms a rounded, attractive canopy.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: This red navel orange tree ships at approximately 1 foot tall in a 1-gallon pot. In the ground, it can reach 10-20 feet, while in a large container, it typically grows 6-10 feet tall, depending on pruning and conditions.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: The plant arrives in a 1-gallon nursery pot, which provides ample space for its initial growth and root development before transplanting.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: It can be both. This live sweet orange tree thrives outdoors in USDA Zones 9-11. In cooler climates, it should be grown in a container and brought indoors during cold weather.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: A citrus plant care requirement is full sun, meaning it needs at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily to produce healthy growth and abundant fruit.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: While not difficult, it does require consistent care, especially regarding watering, sunlight, and fertilization. It’s a rewarding plant for gardeners willing to provide its specific needs.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your red navel orange tree will arrive as a healthy, live plant in its 1-gallon nursery pot, carefully packaged to minimize stress during transit.
• Q: Can I use cara cara orange plant fruit in cooking? A: Yes, the fruit is excellent for eating fresh, juicing, and can be used in various culinary applications, including salads, desserts, and marmalades. The navel orange benefits extend to its versatility in the kitchen.
• Q: How long until it blooms? A: This young tree typically begins to bloom in late winter to early spring, often within 2-3 years of planting, leading to fruit production in subsequent seasons.
• Q: When is the best time to plant? A: The best time to plant is in spring or early summer after the last frost, allowing the tree to establish itself before extreme temperatures.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: This red navel orange tree is hardy in USDA Zones 9-11. If you live in a colder zone, it must be protected from frost or grown indoors during winter.