Oranges and orange juice have long been synonymous with the state of Florida—the orange blossom is the state flower, and the fruit graces Floridians’ license plates. But in just a little over 20 years, the state’s orange production has experienced “a total collapse,” according to Slate features writer Alexander Sammon.
Hurricanes and disease are two major factors that have made healthy orange trees nearly impossible to grow. But real estate development has also changed the landscape — literally — of central Florida.
“This famed, Edenic, citrus-growing region is also one of the fastest-growing counties by population in the entire country,” Sammon said. “That land is worth a lot of money as housing, and right now it’s not worth a lot of money as oranges because they can’t really grow them.”
“Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal spoke with Sammon about what’s happened to the Florida orange.
To listen to their conversation, use the audio player above
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