Cara Cara Orange Tree

Cara Cara is a red-fleshed navel orange selection that arose as a mutation on a Washington navel tree. Its sweet orange identity and named selection are confirmed by the [UC Riverside Citrus Variety Collection](https://citrusvariety.ucr.edu/crc3994), which records the taxon as Citrus sinensis. ## Fruit and season Cara Cara’s pink-to-red flesh gets its color from lycopene, while most other tree and fruit traits resemble Washington navel. UCR reports that the selection was discovered in Venezuela in 1976 and ripens from November through January at Riverside. The [University of Arizona Extension](https://extension.arizona.edu/publication/oranges-southern-arizona) likewise describes Cara Cara as a midseason navel with fruit similar to Washington in size and flavor. A Washington cultivar profile gives a useful size reference for this related tree form, but the exact mature size also depends on rootstock and pruning. ## Site and care Plant in full sun and well-drained soil. Citrus prefers regular, deep watering while establishing, with later irrigation adjusted to soil and weather. The [UF/IFAS home citrus guide](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS132) recommends removing rootstock suckers and limiting canopy pruning. ## Maintenance Keep the graft union above the soil line and remove growth below it. Protect from frost; in colder climates, use a movable container and shelter the tree before freezing weather.