Blood Orange Sicily Essential Oil (Citrus sinensis)

Botanical Name Citrus sinensis

Origin  Italy

Crop Season December - February

 Source  Peel

Description / Color / Consistency  A light, oily orange to reddish-orange liquid.

Aromatic Summary / Note / Strength of Aroma  Blood Orange (Sicily) essential oil has a warm, fresh citrus scent that is tangy. It is a middle note of medium aroma.

Blends With  Lavender,  Clary Sage, Lemon, Mrryh, Nutmeg, Clove Bud.

Product Abstract

Italy has an interesting type of citrus sinensis called ‘Blood Orange’. Blood orange is red in colour due to the anthocyanin pigment present (this is also a good anti-oxidant). The oil is unique because of the high carotenoid content and its sweet taste.

Citrus sinensis is a middle-sized evergreen tree, covered with bark of a greenish-brown color, having auxiliary spines on the branches. The leaves are alternate, ovate-oblong, acute, shining green, the stalk more or less winged. The blood orange has streaks of red in the fruit, and when squeezed the juice is often reddish. Its red pigment, anthocyanin, is an antioxidant that is rare in the rest of the citrus family. A recently hybridized orange, it was cultivated in China and the southern Mediterranean in the early 18th century. The three which are widely cultivated today are the Moro, Toracco, and Sanguinello.

Common Usage

• Aphrodisiac
• Insect repellant
• Gas
• Spasms
• Flushing toxins
• For the mind
• Cholagogue
• Cuts and wounds
• For inflammation

History

Blood oranges may have originated in either China or the southern Mediterranean, where they have been grown since the 18th century. They are now the primary orange grown in Italy. The anthocyanins which give the orange its distinct maroon color will only develop when temperatures are low at night, as during the Mediterranean fall and winter. Blood oranges cultivated in the United States are in season from December to March (Texas), and from November to May (California)

Harvesting/Extraction Information

Plant them anywhere that you would plant any other citrus.   They are a great long range focal point use.  The evergreen foliage can hide/screen undesirable areas.  Flowers smell awesome-even at a short distance.   See above subtypes for specific growth habits.