What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of citrus fruits? Citrus fruits have been a part of Florida's history for nearly 400 years. Citrus fruits were imported from the island of Hispaniola in Florida around 1579 (Joyner 3). A Spanish explorer named Ponce de Leon planted them in St. Augustine, the oldest European settlement in the United States (Joyner 3). It was the first place to grow citrus fruits due to its rich soil, easy seaport, and ideal temperature to produce a successful harvest. In the early 1800s, French Count Odet Philippe brought citrus fruits from the West Indies to Florida (Joyner 3). . He decided to plant the first grove in Florida history in Tampa. Additionally, citrus became the reason Florida grew with settlers. All around the northern tip of Florida there were groves; until Mother Nature made the situation worse. In 1894, there was a disaster known as the “Great Freeze”. From oranges to lemons; everything was killed! It took Florida almost fifteen years to recover from this tragedy. When the harvest finally came, it was stronger than ever! Most importantly, Florida now has over 100 million oranges and grapefruits (Joyner 3)! In these 100 million orange trees, there are 5 different varieties. What differentiates these varieties from each other is their rootstock. There are different varieties of orange trees due to the conditions in which they are grown. The five types of orange trees are Ambersweet, Hamlin, Navel, Pineapple and Valencia. (Joyner 3) Citrus fruits are not only used for fresh fruits and juices. It has many other uses. One is in jellies and other preserves. Preserves include marmalades and candied fruits. A byproduct of citrus production is...... middle of paper ...... at the largest citrus farm in the state of Florida, so you pray prices will rise so you can afford to beat this so called beast named greening (Alvarez 1). I hope your view of citrus is very different. These farmers are not rednecks; they may not wear dress shoes and a tie every day, but they know what hard work is. If this disease kills Florida citrus, I have no idea what these farmers will do. When you are a farmer, you are taught to live off the land; so I'm sure they will do just fine. Works Cited Alaverez, Lizette. “Uncured citrus disease ravages Florida groves.” The New York Times. Np, May 9, 2013. Web. March 20, 2014. Joyner, Cynthia. “The History of Citrus in Florida.” nd: n. page. Print.Ziegler, Louis W. and Herbert S. Wolfe. Citrus growing in Florida. Gainesville: University of Florida, 1975. Print.