in the 12th century. Legend says that Saint Domine planted the first orange tree in Rome in 1200 AD. A Spanish ship brought England its first shipment of Seville oranges in 1290. Seven of these were presented to England's queen as an exotic treasure.
Sweet oranges (Citrus sinensis) were first reported in India in 1330, and, by 1421, had made their way to the court at Versailles. By the 15th century, orangeries, glass houses constructed exclusively to grow oranges, were being built on many of the wealthier French estates to allow the nobility to enjoy the luxury of this refreshing new variety of fresh fruit. A sweet orange tree planted in Lisbon in 1548 was reported to be still living in 1823.
Oranges were introduced gradually into the New World. They were seen in South America by the middle of the 16th century, in Arizona in the early 1700s, and in California in the early 1800s, but even a small Californian orchard planted in the 19th century was "considered a very dubious and speculative venture at the time it was planted" (Batchelor 4), since the fruit was rare enough to limit its popularity.
Eventually, however, the citrus belt in the Americas became one of the greatest producers of an increasingly popular fruit crop, as sweet oranges in particular have developed a worldwide demand. Oranges have become popular not only because of their sweet taste as a juice and a fresh fruit but also because of their benefit as a natural source of the essential vitamin C, a benefit that has been increasingly recognized as combating diseases from scurvy to the common cold.
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