Wholesale citrus

Moro blood orange

Citrus sinensis ‘Moro’

The darkest of the blood oranges: deep red to maroon flesh with a sweet, berry-like flavor. The color comes on with cool winter nights, so it is at its best in the Valley from midwinter into early spring.

EdiblePigmented fleshSweet orangeArizona suited

Check the current program →

Landscape layersLower canopy

Mature size

Usually 10–20 ft tall and wide; rootstock and pruning change final size

Climate fit

Urban core · USDA 9b–10a · Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b · Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b

Special categories

EDIBLE

Winter chill

None

Typical harvest

Winter into early spring

Before you plant

These conditions determine whether it will thrive.

Required microclimate

Placement is part of the growing system.

Zone A — morning sun, afternoon shade, at the east end of the sunnier south-facing side. Shields thin skin and variegated foliage from west sun, and gives blood oranges the cooler afternoons they need to color.

Cold hardiness

Cover while young

Like most sweet oranges, leaves take damage in the mid 20s. Cover it its first two or three winters, and protect ripening fruit when a night below 28°F is forecast.

Leaves and wood: damaged below 25°F · Blossoms and fruit: below 28°F

Heat tolerance

Shade from late-afternoon sun

The tree handles heat, but the red color needs cold winter nights. In warm Phoenix yards Moro still colors some, and fruit on the sunny outside of the tree colors best.

Sources:

extension.arizona.edu , citrusvariety.ucr.edu , galveston.agrilife.org

Right plant, right place

Will Moro blood orange grow at your Arizona property?

Plant in fast-draining soil with the graft union above grade. Keep mulch away from the trunk and avoid lawn irrigation at the root crown.

Best regional fit: Urban core · USDA 9b–10a, Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b, Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b.

Light

Sun exposure

Full sun; young trunks and exposed scaffold limbs need sunburn protection

Water

Irrigation

Deep, regular irrigation with drying between cycles; expand the wetted zone as the canopy grows

Fruit set

Pollination

Self-fruitful

Harvest

How to use it

Fresh eating, juice and cocktails

Planting & stewardship

How to help Moro blood orange thrive

1
Verify both the named cultivar and rootstock on the nursery tag before planting.
2
Whitewash newly exposed bark and protect cold-sensitive trees during hard freezes.
3
Feed in several light applications during the active season rather than one heavy dose.
4
Let fruit color and flavor—not a calendar date alone—confirm harvest readiness.

Read the horticultural reference ↗