The Washington navel orange is the best eating orange in the world. This is because it is less juicy and therefore less messy to eat, it is seedless, and it has excellent flavor. It is second in popularity of any fruit, second only to the Valencia orange.
This is remarkable considering that the Valencia orange grows under a wide range of climate and soil conditions. The Washington navel, however, can grow only in Mediterranean climates such as Australia, South Africa, around the Mediterranean basin, and in California.
In Florida, where twice the citrus is grown as in Califomia, navel oranges do not grow well. Florida, due to its climate, has centered its citrus industry around juice products with about 90 percent of its citrus going to citrus processors.
