Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara'
Citrus sinensis ‘Cara Cara’ or Cara Cara Pink Orange is a citrus tree. It is from the Rutaceae family of plants. It is a hybrid between Washington Navel Orange and Brazilian Bahia Navel Orange. It is evergreen.
Citrus sinensis ‘Cara Cara’ is easy to grow. It grows to about 20ft or 6m tall. It has glossy dark green leaves. The flowers are white and star-shaped. They are very fragrant. The orange blossoms are used in perfumes. In Spain, they make tea with the dried flowers.
The fruit which ripens in November or December has a unique flavor and full of antioxidants. They call the fruit Cara Cara navel orange or Red-fleshed navel orange. The fruit is seedless. The pigmentation in Cara Cara is caused by carotenoids.
How to grow Citrus sinensis ‘Cara Cara’:
Grow it in the sun. Plant it in the ground or large containers. Plant in rich acidic soil, that is moist but well-drained. Water it regularly in hot weather. But don’t overwater. It attracts bees and butterflies.
Fertilize it regularly, it requires nitrogen. Do not add it to the soil during planting but fertilize after. It requires temperatures not falling below 55ºF or 2ºC. You don’t need to prune it. It is generally disease-free. Watch out for red spider mite, soft scale aphids, caterpillars, or mealybugs. Propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings.
