I am considering two varieties and I am open to more ideas. Sanguinello and Moro are the two I am looking at. I live in Pensacola, FL below I-10. My zone is 8b/9a. My soil is sand based. What is a good choice and do I need a polinator for these. Are there other varieties that I should consider? I have Flying Dragon rootstock available and may use it to reduce the size of the tree unless theses are naturally smaller trees.

Thanks

You will not get much of the red colorization on the blood oranges (they need cool nights to achieve this) but you should still get some red blotches. Moro is supposedly the best blood orange for warmer areas, but I have not tasted or grown Sanguinello. You do not need a pollinator for either.

I know of one (unknown name) blood orange that grows in Elsinor, AL which is about 15 miles North of my latitude. It produces decent fruit with minimal streaking. Even though it isn't much furthur North than I am it is a long ways from the coast while I am only a few miles from the bay and gulf which gives me a buffer from most cold fronts. Is there anyone else that knows of other blood orange trees in this area?

Thanks

You saw my Moro, it did produce plenty of color last winter, but we had more cold than normal last winter. I have a sister in Loxley, Al that has a Taroco that I budded onto one of her satsumas, but it has not yet produced fruit--probably next yr.

Tarroco blood orange disappointing
in SE Texas.
This blood orange is supposedly one of the best tasting in California. I waited patiently for 5 years for my thorny tarroco branch to bear fruit. The fruit was only pale orange, NO streaks of red, and bland tasting by the time we had our 19F freeze around Christmas time. I think it's too late bearing for SE Texas. I've had much better luck with moro and sanguinelli. I had a 5 gallon bucket of moro fruit with streaks of red last year by Christmas time that tasted good. This year's sanguinelli fruit was excellent tasting by Christmas and the streaks of red turned to blood red orange juice with a sprightly good taste.

Looks like Moro 1st and Saneguinelli 2nd and I may plant a Cara Cara that I believe will also have Red streaking.

Thanks,

Cara Cara, (CC) will have pink, (or pinkish orange) flesh (pulp) no matter what part of the country the tree is grown. The coloration of CC's pulp is due to the substance Lycopene. Lycopene is not reliant on temperature in order to produce color. Actual blood oranges such as Moro, Tarocco, and Sanguinelli rely on the chemical anthocyanins, which is fully dependent on the cool weather in order for the fruit to turn red. Therefore, Cara Cara will always have complete pinkish pulp when grown in Florida, while Blood Oranges may or may not produce color in Florida. - Millet (903-)