Citriculture in Riverside
To say that citriculture has been an important industry in Southern California would be an understatement. What is sometimes called the “second California Gold Rush” started in 1873 in Riverside when Eliza Tibbets planted two starter trees of a strain of orange tree from Bahia, Brazil, that were sent to her by an acquaintance at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C. Every Washington navel orange tree in California is a descendant of those trees, one of which is still growing and bearing fruit in a protective tent at Magnolia and Arlington in Riverside. About 5 miles away, the California Citrus State Historic Park, established in 1993, covers over 250 acres and features groves of more than 100 varieties of citrus trees, historic buildings, interpretive exhibits and guided tours. It is a working citrus grove; most of the fruit is picked and sold by park partner Gless Ranch. The Parent Washington Navel Orange Tree is a California historical landmark.
Riverside, Riverside County
Photographer: Andrew Schmidt