Tag: Citrus family tree

According to genetic studies, most common citrus fruits, including oranges and grapefruit, are actually hybrids resulting from crosses between a few foundational ancestral species. This hybrid lineage directly addresses the common question, "Are oranges a grapefruit product?", clarifying the distinct family tree and revealing the true parental relationship between these two popular fruits.

Grapefruit is a relatively young fruit in the citrus family, having originated in Barbados sometime in the 18th century as a natural, accidental hybrid of a pomelo and a sweet orange. Understanding its family tree reveals a complex and intriguing web of ancestral species and hybrid offspring that are all related to the grapefruit.