Smith Red Blood Orange Budwood

Citrus sinensis L.

The tree is a vigorous grower and carries good crops of fruit. The fruit is of good size and flavour and is very low-seeded. The rind frequently carries a heavy red blush and the flesh is heavily pigmented with anthocyanin. The fruit shape is somewhat variable, globose to avoid, with a depressed base, possibly due to juvenility of subject trees. Although the fruit is mature in late winter, it holds well into late spring, well past the season for conventional blood oranges.

Good size, typically larger than Moro; somewhat variable shape; globose to ovoid with a depressed base, possibly due to juvenility; rind frequently heavily blushed, texture more pebbled than Moro or Tarocco; flesh deeply pigmented by anthocyanin, less tender than Tarocco; flavor very good, sweeter than Moro; seeds few; season late winter in Riverside, holds on the tree past the season for Moro.

Rootstocks of accession:  Carrizo citrange, C-35 citrange.

Season of ripeness at Riverside, California:  January to April.

* First plant picture represents a 5 year old tree on Carrizo rootstock. Second plant picture shows 20 year old tree on unknown rootstock.

Prepared by the Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection at The University of California Riverside.