Citrus Arrives in Florida - 1565

There are different accounts of when citrus arrived in Florida.  Most agree that Columbus brought this fantastic fruit to the new world.  Citrus had been growing in Europe and its control of scurvy was known well before Columbus embarked on his historic voyage seeking passage to Asia.  The exact date might be in question (some say 1513 while other accounts place the date at 1565), but citrus made its way to the ‘new world’ and managed to ‘move’ up the coast to as far as Charleston with settlers and all over the peninsula as the Spaniards traded with the native Americans who carried seeds and deposited them along rivers, around lakes and in hammocks (slightly elevated densely wooded areas with adequate soil moisture and high humidity that support extensive plant growth).  There were many ‘wild’ groves all over the peninsula thanks to the natives.  Many of these ‘wild’ plantings were later used to establish commercial groves as they were budded with desirable varieties.  Check out the exhibit on citrus propagation!

Citrus enjoyed Florida!  The warm temperatures, wet summers and suitable soil allowed this ‘tourist’ to become a permanent resident.  Over the years periodic freezes and other events determined where citrus would be grown as a commercial crop.  For the first 250 years the fruit was grown in small areas in settlements and in the wild.