Search results
Aug 20, 2023 · Cara Cara orange, also known as the red-fleshed navel orange, is a unique and delicious citrus fruit. It is a mutation of the Washington navel orange and is known for its vibrant pink to red flesh, which sets it apart from other oranges.
Nov 14, 2023 · Discover everything you need to know about growing and caring for a Cara Cara orange tree. From planting to harvesting, we have tips, recipes, and covered. Plus, find answers to common questions and about this unique citrus tree.
A popular navel orange variety, Citrus sinensis ‘Cara Cara’ is a medium-sized evergreen tree prized for its nearly seedless, juicy oranges with deep reddish-pink, ultra-sweet flesh. Low in acid, the fruit has an incredibly sweet citrus flavor with notes of berries.
- History of The Cara Cara Orange Tree
- Cara Cara Orange Tree Fruit Characteristics
- Cara Cara Orange Tree Planting Zones
- Cara Cara Orange Tree Size and Spacing
- Cara Cara Orange Tree Pollination
- Cara Cara Orange Tree Care
- Pruning
- Uses For Cara Cara Oranges
- Cara Cara Orange Nutritional Characteristics
- Wrapping Up The Cara Cara Orange
Cara Cara oranges exist as the result of a mutation of the Navel Orange. Actually, Navel Oranges came into being as the result of a mutation, too. Navel Orange trees have been in existence since 1820 when they first appeared in Brazil. The Navel Orange bears a seedless orange. Instead of seeds, it has a secondary fruit underneath a “navel” at the e...
Cara Cara oranges have orange peels like other oranges, but they will return to green if stored in a warm place after picking. This usually isn’t a problem, because they are extremely sweet with a cranberry-like aftertaste. They are less acidic than other oranges and have enticing floral aromas in the juice and fruit. Cara Cara oranges have so many...
In 2021, a few home growers of Cara Cara Orange trees in Austin, Texas were astonished when their plants survived five days and nights below freezing, with some temperatures around 0° and 8 inches of snow that lasted a week. These plants survived above the graft line and will continue to bear Cara Cara oranges when they recover. Our advice to you, ...
If you are growing a Cara Cara Orange Tree outdoors, you need to give it enough room to grow 20 feet tall and about 10 feet wide, with 5 feet on every side away from other trees. Don’t plant a Cara Cara Orange tree closer than 10 feet to a patio or the foundation of your house, a driveway, septic tank lines, or a swimming pool. The ideal way for ho...
Cara Cara Orange trees are self-pollinating. You do not need another orange tree in close proximity for good production of fruit. Brushing pollen from one flower to another will help your tree set more fruit.
Soil
Cara Cara Orange trees prefer well-drained, loamy soil that is at least 4 feet deep. If you plant your Cara Cara Orange tree in a rocky location where it has a “bowl” of soil maybe just a few feet wide, it is best to treat it as if it were a container plant. If you are growing a Cara Cara Orange tree in a container, it will need a very specific soil mix. Equal parts of sphagnum moss, perlite, vermiculite, and coconut fiber work best. Do not use dirt you dig up in the yard for growing a contai...
Fertilization
Cara Cara Orange trees benefit from two to four feedings a year with a commercial “citrus fertilizer.” Citrus fertilizer will include the phosphorus needed for good fruiting. If you are doing just two feedings a year, time them just before the main flowering in early winter and just after picking the last fruit in early summer. All citrus plants benefit from trace minerals. Bone meal, or, if you are vegan, crushed phosphate rock, provide both phosphorus and trace nutrients. So does seaweed sp...
Sunlight
Like all other citrus trees, Cara Cara Orange trees prefer full sunlight. They will still bear fruit, just not as much, if they get six hours of sunlight every day. Morning sun helps reduce fungal and bacterial diseases. When you have your container-grown Cara Cara Orange tree indoors, make sure it gets at least six hours of sun every day. If that’s not possible, use a grow lamp for up to 12 hours a day, giving your tree a dark period every night.
Pruning keeps the growth of your Cara Cara Orange tree above the ground in balance with the growth of your Cara Cara Orange tree below the ground. Sometimes Cara Cara Orange trees outgrow their root systems. When this happens, you may see green stems with no leaves or green stems with just one or two leaves at the end. Cut these off with clippers o...
Cara Cara oranges are delicious eaten out of hand. They make a tart but sweet orange-pink fruit juice with notes of roses and berries. Your unique growing conditions may give home-grown Cara Cara oranges a taste that you cannot find in the fruit of any other tree. Cara Cara orange zest has floral notes not found in other oranges. In cooking, Cara C...
Cara Cara oranges have just 80 calories, with 19 grams of carbohydrate and 3 grams of fiber. They have 20% more vitamin C and 30% more vitamin A than other oranges. But that’s just the beginning of the nutritional benefits of Cara Cara oranges: 1. Cara Cara oranges are also an excellent source of lycopene, zeaxanthin, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene,...
Excited for more orange content? Check out our orange trees pageto start learning everything there is to know about your favorite citrus!
It covers the best conditions for planting, care, and harvesting of these oranges, as well as common pests and diseases that may affect the trees. The article provides tips on pruning, fertilizing, and watering the plants for optimal growth.
A Cara Cara orange tree (Citrus × sinensis 'Cara Cara') is a variety of sweet navel orange known for its tangy, almost berry-like flavor. This sets it apart from other orange varieties. Its taste is often described as less acidic and more complex than classic orange varieties like the Washington or Valencia Orange.
People also ask
What is a Cara Cara Orange?
Is Cara Cara a seedless Orange?
Can you grow a Cara Cara orange tree in a pot?
Are Cara Cara orange trees a good choice?
As one would expect of Navel Oranges, the 'Cara Cara' is seedless and peels/breaks apart easily. Discovered in Venezuela in the mid-1970s, the difference from other Navels is the 'Cara Cara' fruit's dark pink to red colored interior, which has a sweet, berry-like flavor.
