Oranges; photo from USDA Agricultural Research Service.
Official State Fruit of Florida
Florida designated the orange as the official state fruit in 2005 due to the efforts of teacher Janet Shapiro and her students at Southside Elementary School, who realized that although the orange blossom was the state flower and orange juice the state beverage, Florida had no state fruit! All State Foods & Drinks
Citrus fruit, especially oranges, are a major part of Florida's economy. Florida produces the majority of citrus fruit grown in the United States (in 2006, 67 percent of all citrus, 74 percent of oranges, 58 percent of tangerines, and 54 percent of grapefruit). About 95 percent of commercial orange production in the state is processed (mostly as orange juice).
