Navel Oranges

The Mother of California’s Navel Orange industry was Mrs. Eliza Tibbetts, who in 1873 planted the first 2 U.S. “bud sports” (mutant bud stock) of the Bahia Navel in Riverside, California.  The trees flourished, and the fruit was clearly superior to any other commercial orange variety of the day in size, appearance, texture, and flavor.  The fact that navel oranges were also seedless further enhanced their prospects as table fruit.  Mother Tibbetts’s orange was originally named the Riverside Navel by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  However, other Southern California citrus growers objected, vehemently, and campaigned for a name of more “national” appeal.  Thus, the Navel orange and all its descendants were named after the nation’s father, George Washington.  All new varieties of Navel oranges can trace their roots back to the original Washington Navel.

Labels
Cecelia’s Pride
Cecelia Premium Citrus
Roster’s Pride
JC Orchards
C bar C
Generic CA Orange

PLUs
Navels PLU 4013 – Small Sizes
Navels PLU 3107 – Medium Sizes
Navels PLU 4012 – Large Sizes