Citrus sinensis 'Tarocco #7'

Tarocco #7 Blood Orange Tree (Citrus sinensis 'Tarocco #7') bears the largest of the blood orange fruits. The fruits are extremely tasty - sweet with a hint of tartness. The flesh turns a striking deep red when ripe. While the rind is orange, it can also change to a deep red when mature. This sweet orange can be eaten fresh, or in baked goods, such as tarts and pies. It makes a colourful addition to any salad or cocktail, and can be used in marinades and sauces. Blood orange makes a particularly good marmalade. The possibilities are endless.

Grown on Flying Dragon Rootstock, this dwarf citrus tree will not grow taller than 6 feet. The flowers are white and fragrant, and stand out against the glossy green foliage. Hardy to zone 9a, Tarocco #7 blood orange plant needs to be grown in a container in our Canadian climate, and brought indoors to enjoy in the colder months. Place it in a sunny window for the winter. This sweet red orange tree is self-fertile, but you can help it set fruit by taking a small brush and moving pollen from flower to flower if it blooms during the winter. Your blood orange tree will bear fruits high in vitamin C, potassium and citrate, within its first 1-2 years.

Most plant experts agree that this is a hybrid plant resulting from a hybrid mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata) and and a hybrid pomelo (Citrus maxima).