Opulent Oranges of the Public Domain

Mandarin oranges are important in Chinese culture as a symbol of abundance and good fortune. Let’s check out the best orange images in the public domain.

Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis)

When people say orange they usually are referring to the sweet orange. This is, by far, the most common species of orange. Sweet oranges are hybrids that were created when mandarin oranges were mixed with pomelos. Indeed, there are thousands of cultivars of sweet oranges. Some popular cultivars include Valencia, which is the number one juicing orange in the U.S., and the navel orange.

The navel orange is an interesting fruit since every single navel orange is a clone. Researchers believe the first navel orange was a mutation that occurred in the 1810s or 1820s on a tree on the grounds of a monastery in Brazil. This mutation caused a second orange to begin to grow at the orange’s base under its peel. The mutation left the fruit seedless, so in order to propagate the plant, cuttings from the plant were grafted into other trees. For this reason, every navel orange today is the exact same fruit as it was 200 years ago.

Valencia Orange
Valencia Orange
Citrus sinensis (1913)
Washington Navel Orange
Washington Navel Orange
Citrus sinensis (1913)
Temple Orange
Temple Orange
Citrus sinensis (1916)

Mandarin oranges (Citrus reticulata)

Similarly, the mandarin orange is a popular species of orange. It is well known for having a flavor that is sweeter and stronger than common oranges. It also differs in its shape, which is more squat than spherical. Mandarins are generally easy to peel with a loose pebbly skin.

Tangerines (Citrus tangerina, citrus x tangerina)

Although tangerines are sometimes treated as a variety of mandarin orange, they are actually hybrids of mandarins mixed with pomelo.

Manurco Tangerine
Manurco Tangerine
Citrus reticulata (1926)
Francis Heiney Tangerine
Francis Heiney Tangerine
Citrus reticulata (1918)
Dancy Tangerine
Dancy Tangerine
Citrus reticulata (1919)

Bitter oranges (Citrus aurantium)

Bitter oranges, also known as Seville oranges, sour oranges or marmalade oranges, are thought to be hybrids of mandarins and pomelos. If you’re keeping track, that’s 3 for 3: tangerine, sweet orange and bitter orange are all mandarin/pomelo hybrids. Bitter oranges are generally used for their essential oils, and are found in many perfumes. The fruit is also cooked down into marmalades. Belgian white beers are spiced with bitter oranges, and moreover, the peels are used in Curaçao liqueur.

Bitter Orange
Bitter Orange
Citrus aurantium (1923)

Bergamot oranges (Citrus bergamia)

Bergamot oranges are likely hybrids of bitter oranges and lemons. In particular, the fruit is used to flavor Earl Grey and Lady Grey teas. It’s also used for certain sweets including Turkish Delights.

Trifoliate orange (Citrus trifoliata or Poncirus trifoliata)

The Trifoliate orange, also known as Japanese bitter orange, hardy orange, and Chinese bitter orange is native to northern China and Korea. It can survive cold environments, and due to this hardiness it is used as a citrus rootstock to grow other species of oranges.

Clementine (Citrus × clementina)

The Clementine is a mandarin/sweet orange hybrid. It’s much like a tangerine, with an easy to peel skin, and sweet juicy taste. The skin is markedly smooth and glossy.

Clementine
Clementine
Citrus x clementina (1829)

Check out our juicy new collection of 25 public domain oranges from the USDA Pomological watercolor collection.

We have even more orange illustrations too! Browse everything we’ve worked on here. The images have been color corrected, repaired of scratches, removed from their backgrounds AND are all in the public domain! Hope you enjoyed this little dose of vitamin C. 🍊

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