Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Valencia Orange
Valencia is the classic juice orange, known for deep orange, sweet, rich juice. In the Valley the fruit is ready from about February or March and holds on the tree into May or June. That makes it the orange you can still pick in late spring, after most others are done. Fragrant white blossoms open in late winter and spring on an evergreen tree.
Best for: fresh orange juice, fruit to pick in spring and early summer, fragrant blossoms, and an evergreen backyard fruit tree.
Valencia is known for high-quality juice with a deep orange color and high sugar. The fruit has few seeds, usually 0 to 6 per orange.
Fruit is ready from about February or March and holds well on the tree into May or June. That is after most other oranges in the Valley are done.
Fragrant white blossoms open in late winter and spring, and bees visit them. Trees are listed at about 8 to 20 feet tall and wide, so give it about 15 to 20 feet from other trees.
The peel can turn green again in late spring even though the fruit is still good. Bare trunks sunburn in the Valley, and the fruit hanging through winter is more tender to frost than the tree.
- Row of trees with canopies meetingAbout 15 ft apart
- Single yard treeAbout 20 ft from other trees
A newly planted Valencia tree needs water every few days in its first months, more often in summer. Water out past the edge of the canopy, not right at the trunk.
Soak the soil 2 to 3 feet deep about every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in winter. Let the top of the soil dry between waterings, and never water shallow and daily.
Feed with a citrus fertilizer three times a year. Apply one feeding in January or February, one in March or April, and one in May or June.
Prune lightly from late winter into spring, never in summer. Leave the low branches that shade the trunk, and paint any bare, sun-hit bark with white latex paint.
Sweet orange trees are rated to about 24°F, but the fruit is more tender than the tree. Cover young trees with frost cloth to the ground on freezing nights, and water the day before.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
When are Valencia oranges ripe in Arizona?
In the Valley, Valencias are ready from about February or March. The fruit holds well on the tree, so you can keep picking into May or June. Taste one to check, because color is not a reliable sign.
Why are my ripe Valencia oranges turning green?
Late in the season the peel can turn green again as the weather warms. This is called regreening, and the flesh stays sweet and juicy, so go ahead and eat or juice the fruit.
Is Valencia a good juice orange?
Yes. Valencia is the classic juice orange, with deep orange juice, high sugar and rich flavor. It can be eaten fresh too, but it is most often used for juice.
Valencia vs navel orange: which should I plant?
Navels are seedless and best eaten fresh, and stored navel juice turns bitter. Valencias are the better juice orange, and they ripen later in the season.
Do Valencia oranges have seeds?
They have few seeds, usually 0 to 6 per fruit.
Can I leave Valencias on the tree?
Yes. Valencias hold well on the tree and keep getting sweeter as the season goes on. Oranges do not ripen after picking, so leave fruit on until it tastes right.
Do I need two trees to get fruit?
No. Valencia trees set fruit without pollination, so a single tree bears on its own.
How big does a Valencia orange tree get?
Trees are listed at about 8 to 20 feet tall and about as wide, and they stay evergreen. Plant about 15 feet apart for canopies that meet, or about 20 feet for a single tree.
How often should I water a Valencia orange?
Water deeply, out past the edge of the canopy, 2 to 3 feet down. Established trees need water about every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in winter. Young trees need water every few days at first.
When should I fertilize it?
Use citrus fertilizer three times a year. Apply one feeding in January or February, one in March or April, and one in May or June.
How cold can a Valencia orange take?
Sweet orange trees are rated to about 24°F. The fruit hangs through winter and is more tender than the tree. Cover young trees with frost cloth to the ground on freezing nights, and water the day before.
Is a Valencia orange tree safe for pets?
No. Orange trees are listed as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Chewing the peel, leaves or stems can cause vomiting, diarrhea and depression, so keep pets from chewing on the tree.
Valencia Orange for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Valencia is the orange Valley gardeners plant for juice and for fruit late in the season. It brings sweet, deep orange juice, few seeds, fragrant blossoms and evergreen leaves. Below are the questions homeowners ask most, from harvest time and green peel to size, spacing, watering, feeding and frost.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
When are Valencia oranges ripe in Phoenix?
Valencias are ready from about February or March in the Valley. The fruit holds on the tree into May or June, after most other oranges are finished.
Why do Valencia oranges turn green on the tree?
As the weather warms in late spring, the peel can turn green again. The fruit inside stays sweet and juicy, so the green color does not mean it is unripe.
Valencia vs navel orange
Navels are seedless and best for fresh eating, because their stored juice turns bitter. Valencias are the juice orange, with few seeds, and they ripen later in the season.
Best orange for juice in Arizona
Valencia is known for high-quality juice with deep orange color and high sugar. Sweet oranges such as the Arizona Sweets are also good for juicing.
How big does a Valencia orange tree get?
Trees are listed at about 8 to 20 feet tall and about as wide. It keeps its leaves all year.
How far apart do you plant Valencia orange trees?
Plant about 15 feet apart center to center for canopies that meet. Give a single tree about 20 feet. The spacing calculator can count trees for a row.
Watering a Valencia orange tree in the Valley
Water deeply, wetting the soil 2 to 3 feet down and out past the canopy edge. Established trees need water about every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in winter.
When to fertilize Valencia oranges
Oranges get three feedings a year. Apply one in January or February, one in March or April, and one in May or June.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.