Japanese name: ネーブルオレンジ Scientific name:Citrus sinensis var. brasiliensis
[Overview]
An evergreen tree grown as a fruit tree.
The alternate leaves look simple but are reduced compound leaves, and they have almost no serrations.
The flowers are white and 5-petaled.
Many stamens are united up to the middle of the filaments, forming a staminal tube.
The fruit is spherical, ripens to orange, and is slightly uneven.
It is characterized by a navel on the fruit.
[Cultivation]
Propagate by grafting.
It prefers sunny, well-drained soil.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless summer brings a long sunny spell and severe dryness.
Apply fast-acting chemical fertilizer in spring, early summer and late autumn.
If there are many flower buds, thin them to about one flower per 3–4 leaves.
Also, once fruit has formed, it is good to thin it to about one fruit per 30–40 leaves.
Pests and diseases, starting with scale insects, occur often, so care is needed in every season.
It is a food plant of swallowtail butterfly larvae.
