Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange

Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange

$9,490.00

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Size: 300L

300L 400L

Current Stock Height Guides

Height guide disclaimer: Height ranges are approximate only. As living products, plant heights naturally vary between individual plants, batches, and seasons. No guarantee is given that supplied plants will fall within the stated range. If minimum heights are required, you mustconfirm current batch heights with Evergreen Trees Direct prior to purchase. Variation in height is normal and is not grounds for return, refund, replacement, or compensation.

Mature Height & Width

Mature Height: 3m to 5m

Mature Width: 2m to 4m

Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange is expected to grow 30cm to 60cm per year under suitable conditions.

Root Ball Dimensions

Use this as a reference when digging your planting hole. We recommend digging at least 10% wider than the dimensions below to encourage strong root development.

30cm Pot: 33cm (W) × 30cm (D)
40cm/45L Pot: 44cm (W) × 41.5cm (D)
50cm Pot / 70L Pot: 55cm (W) × 41.8cm (D)
100L Bag: 50.6cm (W) × 52.8cm (D)
150L Bag: 66cm (W) × 55cm (D)
200L Bag: 71.5cm (W) × 60.5cm (D)
300L Bag: 88cm (W) × 63.8cm (D)
400L Bag: 99cm (W) × 66cm (D)
500L Bag: 122cm (W) × 66cm (D)
750L Bag: 134cm (W) × 69cm (D)
1000L Bag: 146.3cm (W) × 71.5cm (D)
2000L Bag: 176cm (W) × 82.5cm (D)

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Phone: (03) 7042 3318

About Your New Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange

Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' is a navel orange with rose-pink flesh, an evergreen tree carrying glossy leaves on a dense rounded head. The fruit is low in acid and unusually sweet, seedless, with a colour closer to pink grapefruit than to an ordinary orange. Fragrant white blossom opens in spring.

It wants full sun and a fertile free draining soil, and reaches 3 to 5 metres tall by 2 to 4 metres wide at 30 to 60 centimetres a year. Young trees are frost sensitive and need cover for their first two winters. Established trees take light to moderate frost.

Plant it in a home orchard, an edible garden bed or a courtyard where the pink flesh is worth showing off. It is self-fertile, so one tree is enough. Fruit ripens through winter into early spring, filling a gap when little else in the garden is ready to pick.

Frequently Asked Questions

About Cara Cara Navel Orange

Why is Cara Cara flesh pink?

The colour comes from lycopene, the same pigment that reddens tomatoes and watermelon, rather than the anthocyanins that colour a blood orange. It develops as the fruit matures on the tree, giving rose-pink to salmon flesh behind a rind that looks like any other navel orange from the outside.

How big does a Cara Cara orange tree grow?

It reaches 3 to 5 metres tall and 2 to 4 metres wide, forming a dense rounded canopy. Growth runs at 30 to 60 centimetres a year. Pruning after harvest keeps the picking height sensible, and container-grown trees stay considerably smaller than trees planted into open ground.

When is Cara Cara fruit ready to pick?

Ripening runs through winter into early spring in most Australian districts. The flesh colours and sweetens the longer fruit stays on the tree, so pick progressively rather than all at once. Rind colour is a poor guide with this variety, so taste a sample before clearing the tree.

Are Cara Cara oranges seedless?

Yes. Like other navels it is seedless, which is a large part of why it works so well for eating fresh and for juicing. The flesh is also low in acid, so the juice tastes sweeter and rounder than a standard orange even at the same sugar level.

Where does Cara Cara grow best in Australia?

It does well through subtropical and warm temperate districts, from south east Queensland and coastal New South Wales down to Adelaide and the Riverland. Warm days with reasonable winter chill give the best flesh colour. In cool districts choose a north-facing wall or another sheltered warm position.

Is a young Cara Cara tree frost sensitive?

Yes, noticeably so. New growth and young wood can burn through the first two winters, so use frost cloth or plant against a warm wall until the trunk thickens. Once established the tree handles light to moderate frost, though a hard frost during flowering will cost you fruit.

How do I care for a Cara Cara orange tree?

Water deeply and regularly through flowering and fruit fill, easing back in winter. Mulch the root zone, keeping mulch off the trunk. Apply citrus fertiliser in early spring and late summer. Prune lightly after harvest to open the centre, and watch for scale, aphids and citrus leaf miner.

Uses in my Garden

Edible Garden
Feature Tree
Plant in Pots (or) Suitable for Pots

Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange works in an:

Edible Garden – integrates fruit, herbs, and productive plants.
Mediterranean Style Garden – timeless courtyard look with stone, pots, and bold greenery.

Is Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange Evergreen or Deciduous?

Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange is an Evergreen (foliage year round) Tree

Mature Height & Width

Mature Height: 3m to 5m

Mature Width: 2m to 4m

Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange is expected to grow 30cm to 60cm per year under suitable conditions.

Growth Rate of Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange

Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange is expected to grow 30cm to 60cm per year under suitable conditions.

They are considered to have a:

Medium Growth Rate

Frost Tolerance & Ideal Climate to plant Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange

Is Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange frost tolerant?

Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange is Frost Tolerant – Can handle light to moderate frost once established.

Does Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange Flower?

Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' carries masses of fragrant white flowers in spring, followed by seedless navel oranges with rose-pink flesh that ripen through winter into early spring. Blossom, glossy foliage and long-hanging fruit give the tree year-round presence.

Does Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange flower?

Yes - Flowers

Flowering Period:

Spring

Flower Type:

Fragrant

Flower Colour:

White

Is Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange an Australian Native Tree?

No

Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange is Native to Cultivated navel orange selection discovered in Venezuela and now grown widely across warm temperate citrus districts.

What is the Wildlife Value of Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange ?

Heavily scented spring blossom is a strong draw for bees and other beneficial pollinators, adding to garden biodiversity through the warmer months. The dense evergreen canopy provides shelter for small birds and beneficial insects year-round.

How much Sunlight does Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange need?

Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange will thrive best in:

Full Sun

Preferred Soil?

Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' performs best in fertile free-draining loam or sandy loam with a neutral to slightly acidic pH. Lighter sandy soils suit it well when enriched with organic matter to hold moisture and nutrients. Avoid heavy clay or ground that stays wet after rain, as waterlogging quickly stresses citrus roots. Keep moisture even from flowering right through to harvest for the best fruit.

Is Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange Drought Tolerant?

Is Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange Drought tolerant?

As a young tree it needs regular watering to build a healthy productive root system, particularly through hot weather. Once established, Cara Cara Navel Orange shows moderate drought tolerance but fruit size and juice quality both drop away without consistent moisture through flowering and fruit fill.

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How To Plant Your Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange

Site: Choose a well-drained position in full sun with room for the canopy to develop.

Soil preparation: Enrich the planting area with quality compost and aged manure for a strong establishment phase.

Hole: Dig twice as wide as the root ball and the same depth.

Planting: Position level with the surrounding soil, backfill gently, firm in, then water deeply to settle the roots.

Recommended Planting Spacing For Your Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange

Feature tree: 3 to 4 metres apart so each canopy develops a full rounded head.

Avenue planting: 3 metres apart for an even orchard row or courtyard avenue.

Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange is expected to grow 30cm to 60cm per year under suitable conditions.

Medium Growth Rate

Long Term Care For Your Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange

Watering: Water deeply twice weekly through the first 12 months. Once established, reduce to once weekly in dry periods. Mulch helps maintain consistent moisture.

Mulching: Apply a 5 to 7 centimetre layer of organic mulch over the root zone, keeping it 5 centimetres clear of the trunk.

Pruning: Prune lightly after harvest, opening the centre so light reaches the inner canopy. Remove any growth arising below the graft union.

Fertilising: Apply a dedicated citrus fertiliser in early spring and again in late summer for steady growth and reliable cropping.

Pest and disease: Generally trouble free. Check for scale, aphids and citrus leaf miner through warm weather and treat early with horticultural oil.

Planting Your Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange in Different Soil

Citrus sinensis performs best in well-drained loam or sandy loam with a slightly acidic to neutral pH. Adaptable to a wide range of soils when drainage is improved with organic matter.

Sandy soil: Free-draining and ideal. Mulch well to maintain consistent moisture.

Clay soil: Improve drainage with gypsum and organic compost before planting.

Loam: The preferred soil for steady root development and consistent growth.

pH: Slightly acidic to neutral preferred. Mulch with composted leaf litter to maintain levels naturally.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why is Cara Cara flesh pink?
A: The colour comes from lycopene, the pigment that reddens tomatoes, and develops as the fruit matures.

Q: Are Cara Cara oranges seedless?
A: Yes, like other navel oranges the fruit is seedless.

Q: When does the fruit ripen?
A: Through winter into early spring, later in cooler districts.

Q: Is it self-fertile?
A: Yes, a single tree crops without a pollinator planted nearby.

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Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara' – Cara Cara Navel Orange