🍎 Orange Tree
Citrus × sinensis
fruits evergreen fruit tree
☀️ Sun
full sun
💧 Water
deep infrequent watering; drought-tolerant once established
🗺️ Zones
9–11
🪴 Soil Type
well-drained sandy loam, rich organic matter
🧪 Soil pH
5.5–7.0
📏 Spacing
15-25 ft apart (standard); 8-12 ft (dwarf); 15-25 ft between rows
📅 Days to Maturity
3-6 years (from planting); 2-4 years for grafted dwarf varieties
🍴 Edible Parts
🍽️ ["Fruit"]
🤝 Companions (8)
🤝 Marigold
Nematode suppression (citrus nematode Tylenchulus); whitefly and aphid repellent
Aphid trap; groundcover reduces soil temperature in hot climates
🤝 Garlic / Chives
Scale insect, aphid, and spider mite repellent
Potassium accumulation for sweet fruit; pollinator habitat
🤝 Clover
Orchard floor nitrogen fixer; bee pasture
🤝 Guava (Psidium)
In citrus orchards, guava has been shown to reduce citrus greening (HLB) psyllid populations — interplanting being researched
🤝 Cowpea / Pigeon pea
Warm-season nitrogen fixers; provide shade for young trees in hot climates
Attracts predatory insects; tolerates dry conditions
⚠️ Keep Apart (4)
⚠️ Walnut trees
Juglone toxicity
Allelopathic; water competition; shade
⚠️ Grass
Heavy nitrogen competition; humid microclimate promotes fungal disease
⚠️ Dense understory shrubs
Reduce air circulation; increase humidity-related diseases like greasy spot
💊 Medicinal Uses
Contains exceptionally high vitamin C, hesperidin (bioflavonoid strengthening capillaries), limonene (in peel), and folate. Rich in fiber. Traditional global remedy for scurvy (historically critical), colds, flu, and as a general tonic. Peel (chen pi in TCM) used for digestive disorders, phlegm, and cough. Orange flower water used as mild sedative and for skin. Sweet and bitter orange have distinct medicinal profiles. Bitter orange (C. aurantium) used for weight management (controversial synephrine).