Mother Orange Tree
Encyclopedia
The Mother Orange Tree is the oldest living orange
tree in Northern California
. It is growing in Oroville, California
.
near the Bidwell Bar Bridge
, the tree is a Mediterranean sweet orange
Citrus × sinensis cultivar
. The citrus
rootstock
was brought from Mazatlán
, Mexico
on a shipping vessel. The then two-year-old orange tree, which was a novelty in Northern California at the time, was purchased by Judge Joseph Lewis in the city of Sacramento
and planted in 1856 at the western approach to the bridge.
As the years passed and the tree flourished, growing to a height of over 60 feet (18 m), it was a favorite attraction of the miners who would sample its fruit and save seeds to plant in the dooryards of their cabins. On average, it yielded about 600 pounds (273 kg) of oranges that ripened between February and May each year.
to the California State Park Headquarters in Oroville.
The tree's survival proved that the citrus
industry could thrive in the colder climate of Northern California, encouraging many people to grow oranges in the area around Oroville, although the vast majority produced in the region are of the navel orange variety instead.
struck and the tree stopped bearing fruit for a number of years. As a result of the frost, decay fungus
entered the trunk and hollowed it out. To ensure preservation of the tree, propagation experts at the University of California, Riverside
successfully cloned the tree in 2003 and three clones were brought to Oroville for planting. The tree has since resumed fruit production.
The California Historical Landmark
commemorative plaque
for the bridge may be found near the tree.
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
tree in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
. It is growing in Oroville, California
Oroville, California
Oroville is the county seat of Butte County, California. The population was 15,506 at the 2010 census, up from 13,004 at the 2000 census...
.
History
Originally planted in Bidwell's BarBidwell's Bar, California
Bidwell's Bar was a gold mining camp in Butte County, California, United States, which lay at the end of the California Trail...
near the Bidwell Bar Bridge
Bidwell Bar Bridge
The Bidwell Bar Bridge, in Oroville, California, refers to two suspension bridges which cross different parts of Lake Oroville. The original Bidwell Bar Bridge was the first steel suspension bridge in California. The $35,000, 240-foot long original was completed in December 1855, and was built of...
, the tree is a Mediterranean sweet orange
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
Citrus × sinensis cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
. The citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
rootstock
Rootstock
A rootstock is a plant, and sometimes just the stump, which already has an established, healthy root system, used for grafting a cutting or budding from another plant. The tree part being grafted onto the rootstock is usually called the scion...
was brought from Mazatlán
Mazatlán
Mazatlán is a city in the Mexican state of Sinaloa; the surrounding municipio for which the city serves as the municipal seat is Mazatlán Municipality. It is located at on the Pacific coast, across from the southernmost tip of the Baja California peninsula.Mazatlán is a Nahuatl word meaning...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
on a shipping vessel. The then two-year-old orange tree, which was a novelty in Northern California at the time, was purchased by Judge Joseph Lewis in the city of Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
and planted in 1856 at the western approach to the bridge.
As the years passed and the tree flourished, growing to a height of over 60 feet (18 m), it was a favorite attraction of the miners who would sample its fruit and save seeds to plant in the dooryards of their cabins. On average, it yielded about 600 pounds (273 kg) of oranges that ripened between February and May each year.
Transplanting
It has been transplanted twice, once in 1862 to avoid flooding of the Feather River, a second time in 1964 during the construction of Oroville DamOroville Dam
Oroville Dam spans the Feather River about northeast of the city of Oroville, California. It forms Lake Oroville, which stores water for irrigation, flood control, municipal water supply and hydroelectricity generation in California's Sacramento Valley. The dam lies in the foothills of the Sierra...
to the California State Park Headquarters in Oroville.
The tree's survival proved that the citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
industry could thrive in the colder climate of Northern California, encouraging many people to grow oranges in the area around Oroville, although the vast majority produced in the region are of the navel orange variety instead.
Recent events
In 1998, a severe frostFrost
Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually...
struck and the tree stopped bearing fruit for a number of years. As a result of the frost, decay fungus
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
entered the trunk and hollowed it out. To ensure preservation of the tree, propagation experts at the University of California, Riverside
University of California, Riverside
The University of California, Riverside, commonly known as UCR or UC Riverside, is a public research university and one of the ten general campuses of the University of California system. UCR is consistently ranked as one of the most ethnically and economically diverse universities in the United...
successfully cloned the tree in 2003 and three clones were brought to Oroville for planting. The tree has since resumed fruit production.
The California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmarks are buildings, structures, sites, or places in the state of California that have been determined to have statewide historical significance by meeting at least one of the criteria listed below:...
commemorative plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
for the bridge may be found near the tree.
See also
- Eliza TibbetsEliza TibbetsEliza Tibbets , on her ranch in Riverside, California with husband Luther C. Tibbets, is known as growing the first Washington navel orange and founding the citrus industry and cultural landscape of orange groves in California, United States...
- founder of the California citrus industry - California Citrus State Historic ParkCalifornia Citrus State Historic ParkCalifornia Citrus State Historic Park is an open air museum in the state park system of California, USA, interpreting the historic cultural landscape of the citrus industry. The story of the citrus industry's role in the history and development of California is told in the visitor center...