Citrus is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in this genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops like oranges, lemons, grapefruit, pomelo and limes.
Fun facts
- It takes about 5-7 years for an orange tree to start bearing edible fruits.
- All oranges contain carotene, which is responsible for its orange colour.
- There are various types of citrus fruits which include: Lemon, Grapefruit, Lime, Mandarin, Orange, Clementine, Kumquat, Minneola, Tangelo, Tangerine, Satsuma, Ugli, Pummelo.
- The most common orange varieties are Valencia orange, blood orange, and navel orange.
- Many of the other citrus fruits earlier listed are actually hybrids or varieties of orange or grapefruits.
- Citrus fruits grow naturally in tropical climates.
- Many citrus fruits originate from Southeast Asia.
- Lemons are believed to have originated from North India, while limes are from Malaysia.
- In 2005, the largest producer of citrus crops was Nigeria.
- Brazil is the largest exporter of orange juice.
- Citrus fruits are rich in vitamins and nutrients especially calcium and vitamin C.
- Citrus fruits are often linked to reducing the risk of heart disease and some forms of cancer.
- Citrus help reduce the risk of birth diseases in babies when eaten during pregnancy.
- Just fruits one orange contains about two-thirds of an adult’s daily recommended allowance of vitamin C.
- Citrus fruits are powerful detoxifying agents.
- Grapefruits got its name because it grows in clusters on a tree, like actual grapes do.
- Grapefruit is healthy for the heart. It has no fat, saturated fat, cholesterol or sodium.
- A single citrus plant can bear as many as 60,000 flowers, but only 1% of these flowers become a fruit.
- Valencia oranges are the most widely planted worldwide.
- Pumelos are the largest of all the citrus fruits.
- After chocolate and vanilla, orange is the world’s favorite flavor.
- Oranges are the largest citrus crops in the world.
- Oranges and orange blossoms are a symbol of love.
