Arizona is known for its 5 Cs: Copper, Cattle, Cotton, Climate, and, most importantly, for the sake of this article: Citrus. Citrus trees thrive in Arizona and can be a great addition to your backyard, especially if you love a fresh lime slice in your margarita. So, if you’re looking for great citrus trees to have as your very own, here are the top 6 best citrus trees to grow in Arizona!

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Rangpur Lime Tree

Citrus limonia Osbeck, or ‘Rangpur,’ is often used in Indian cuisine and is neither a lime nor a lemon. Instead, it tastes like a cross between a Mandarin orange and a lemon. Like an orange, it is bright orange and can be peeled and segmented. There are, however, a few differences as well.

The sweet, floral odor of honeysuckle will enchant you, and the bitterness of a sour lemon will amaze you. It is possible to make many recipes with Rangpur limes that can also be made with regular limes or lemons. For example, this fruit can be substituted for key limes in a key lime pie or squeezed into a powerful limeade.

Vaniglia Sanguigno Blood Orange Tree

Citrus sinensis varieties have been grown in Italy for hundreds of years and never go out of style, and it’s not surprising. When you taste how sweet and smooth this blood orange relative is, you won’t want to use any other orange!

Despite its orange exterior, the inside of the fruit is pink-grapefruit colored and has a low acid content, so when you bite into it, you only taste sweetness. Vaniglia’s flavor also hints at vanilla, adding beautiful depth. You can try it in drinks, baking, cooking, and candies.

In citrus-friendly environments, oranges such as Vaniglia Sanguigno can easily grow. It is prized as a dessert orange in the Middle East. It will be as enjoyable in your home as it is in theirs.

Super Nova Mandarin Tree

With a name like “Super Nova,” you might think this citrus tree is a bit of a showoff, but when the flavor is as impressive as the new Super Nova Mandarin, the name fits perfectly!

This intense orange fruit has become increasingly popular in the last couple of years, but it has been around for quite some time. It was first developed in Florida in 1966, then expanded to Southern California, and then took off in Northern California. You’ll fall in love with this delicious orange and its natural balance of sweetness and acidity.

Robertson Sweet Orange Tree

The juice’s size, sweetness, and few seeds make this the nearly perfect orange. One of the most popular citrus fruits, this orange grows easily. As a result, this orange tree performs better than most citrus trees in cooler summer climates.

Those who grow Robertson Sweet Oranges at home will tell you how rewarding it is to pick a juicy orange straight from their trees.

The fruit is very prolific as the tree matures, and you will have oranges up to your ears! During the winter, the most abundant crop appears, but the fruit hangs on the trees for a long time.

Chinese Grapefruit Tree

Could you imagine a grapefruit the size of a basketball? That’s impossible, of course. Think again. Not only are Chinese Grapefruits delicious, but they can grow bigger than a basketball if left unchecked. At almost 11 pounds, the Chinese Grapefruit is the world’s largest citrus export.

As with Pomelo trees, grapefruit trees produce larger fruit than grocery store grapefruit, but it’s better to pick your grapefruits before they’re ready for the NBA. Chinese Grapefruits are also sweeter than your typical grocery store fruit! They have a sweet opening taste and a pleasant tartness at the end.

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Tarocco Blood Orange Tree

In Italy, Tarocco Blood Oranges are the sweetest and juiciest of the blood oranges, but they have yet to catch on in the US. The Italians still refer to this orange as the “arancia da tavola” (table orange), accounting for 60% of their blood orange production.

It has yet to catch on here, but that doesn’t mean it won’t! The red-blushed flesh of this fruit will appeal to those who love sweet orange/raspberry flavors. Many citrus growers consider this citrus fruit to be their favorite. Nevertheless, do not let those experts sway your opinion. Try it for yourself!

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