How to Grow Blood Orange in Australia

Updated September 2026

The orange that colours best where winter nights turn cold

A blood orange is a sweet orange whose flesh turns red as it ripens, from pigments called anthocyanins. The flavour is rich, with a berry note that ordinary oranges lack.

The red only develops when nights turn cold while the fruit is ripening. That makes this the rare citrus that does better in the south than the tropics. The tree itself grows just like a navel orange. This guide covers where the colour comes good, varieties, planting and feeding, pests, and when to pick.

When to Plant in Your Region

Plant blood oranges as grafted trees when the weather is mild. Plant from March to September in South East Queensland, Northern Rivers NSW, Sydney & Coastal NSW and Perth & WA. Plant from September to November in Melbourne & Victoria. Plant from March to April or September to October in Adelaide & SA. Plant from October to November in Tasmania. Plant in November in Canberra & ACT. Plant from May to September in North Queensland. Plant from May to August in Darwin & Top End. Choose your region below for the local calendar and any regional note.

Your region

Climate and Where It Grows in Australia

A blood orange tree grows in every one of the site's ten regions, but the red flesh depends on cool nights in late autumn and winter.

Melbourne and Adelaide give excellent colour. Plant in spring after frost in Melbourne, and in autumn or spring in Adelaide. Tasmania and Canberra give deep colour too but are marginal for the tree: plant in spring on the warmest wall, protect young trees from frost, and expect fruit to ripen slowly. South East Queensland, the Northern Rivers, Sydney and Perth grow the tree well, planted from autumn to early spring, with colour that varies with the winter. In North Queensland and the Top End the tree grows, but without cool nights the flesh stays orange; plant in the dry if you still want one, or choose a navel instead.

South East Queensland: plant from March to September.
Northern Rivers NSW: plant from March to September.
Sydney & Coastal NSW: plant from March to September.
Melbourne & Victoria: plant from September to November. Plant Sep to Nov after frost. Cold Melbourne nights colour the flesh a deep red.
Adelaide & SA: plant from March to April or September to October. Plant Mar to Apr or Sep to Oct. Cool winter nights colour the flesh well.
Perth & WA: plant from March to September.
Tasmania: plant from October to November. Marginal. Plant Oct to Nov on the warmest wall. Cold nights give great colour but the fruit ripens slowly.
Canberra & ACT: plant in November. Marginal. Cold nights colour the flesh deeply, but plant in November after the last frost and cover young trees in winter.
North Queensland: plant from May to September. The tree grows, but without cool nights the flesh stays orange. Plant May to Sep in the dry, or choose a navel.
Darwin & Top End: plant from May to August. Without cool nights the flesh stays orange. Plant May to Aug in the dry if you still want one, or choose a navel.

Choosing a Variety

Arnold

A blood orange grown in Australian gardens, with red flushed flesh when nights are cold enough. Grow it like a navel.

Ruby

Also sold as Ruby Blood. Medium sized fruit with red streaked flesh and a rich flavour in a good cool season.

Moro

The deepest coloured of the Italian blood oranges, with a distinctive berry flavour. Colour still depends on cold nights.

Planting

Give the tree full sun, shelter from wind, and free-draining soil with a pH of about 6 to 7.5. Waterlogging kills citrus, so plant on a mound in heavy soil.

Space. Allow about 4 m between trees. A blood orange grows to 3 to 5 m.
Planting. Dig twice as wide as the root ball, plant at the depth it sat in the pot with the graft union above the soil, water in and mulch clear of the trunk.
Pots. Dwarf trees grow in a pot at least 50 cm wide, which also lets you move the tree somewhere sheltered in a cold winter.

Care

Watering

Water deeply once or twice a week in warm weather, and keep moisture steady while the fruit is sizing in summer. Reduce watering in winter.

Feeding

Citrus are hungry trees and underfeeding is the most common reason a backyard tree crops poorly. Feed with a complete citrus fertiliser in late winter, before the spring flowering, and again in late summer, spreading it under the canopy out to the drip line rather than against the trunk, then water it in. Pale leaves with green veins usually point to a shortage of trace elements, which a citrus food that includes them will fix. Top up the mulch each spring, keeping it clear of the trunk.

Pruning

Prune lightly after harvest to remove dead wood, shoots below the graft and crowded branches. Avoid pruning in late summer and autumn.

Pollination

Blood oranges are self-fertile, so a single tree crops on its own.

Pests and Diseases

Citrus in Australian gardens share a short list of pests. None of them needs heavy spraying if you catch it early.

Citrus gall wasp. Swollen, lumpy growths on young stems, each one full of larvae. Cut the galls out in winter, before the adult wasps emerge in spring, and bag them for the bin rather than the compost.
Citrus leaf miner. Silvery trails and curled new leaves, worst on the late summer and autumn flush. It is mostly cosmetic on an established tree but sets young trees back. Horticultural oil on the new growth protects it, and avoiding pruning in late summer and autumn means less soft growth when the moth is most active.
Scale. Small brown or white bumps on stems and under leaves, often with black sooty mould and a trail of ants. Horticultural oil smothers scale, and keeping ants off the trunk lets the natural predators do their work.
Bronze orange bug. Large shield bugs that suck on new shoots and flower stalks, so flowers and young fruit drop. Knock the young nymphs into a bucket of soapy water in winter while they are small. Wear gloves and eye protection, because they squirt a fluid that burns skin and eyes.

Melanose shows as small, raised brown specks on leaves and fruit that feel like fine sandpaper. The fungus lives on dead twigs inside the canopy, so cutting out dead wood is most of the cure.

The plant library also lists citrus canker, because it is one of the most serious citrus diseases in the world. It is not established in Australia and it is a notifiable disease. If you see raised, corky spots with a yellow or oily halo on leaves, stems and fruit, report it to the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881 rather than treating it yourself.

Citrus scab causes raised, corky scabs on young leaves and fruit after wet springs. It spoils the look of the fruit more than the eating. Where it turns up every year, a copper spray at petal fall protects the new fruit.

Harvest and Storage

Blood oranges ripen from winter into spring. The skin may show a red blush, but the only sure test of colour is to cut one open. The red deepens the longer fruit stays on the tree through cold weather, and oranges do not ripen further once picked, so there is no benefit in picking early.

Clip fruit with a short stalk. Picked fruit keeps in the fridge for two to three weeks. Blood orange juice is at its best fresh.

Track Your Blood Orange Tree

Add blood oranges to your garden in the Planting Season app and get reminders for planting, care and harvest, tuned to your region.

Open the App →

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I plant blood oranges in Australia?

It depends on your region. Plant from March to September in South East Queensland, Northern Rivers NSW, Sydney & Coastal NSW and Perth & WA. Plant from September to November in Melbourne & Victoria. Plant from March to April or September to October in Adelaide & SA. Plant from October to November in Tasmania. Plant in November in Canberra & ACT. Plant from May to September in North Queensland. Plant from May to August in Darwin & Top End. Choose your region in the calendar on this page for the local window.

Why is my blood orange not red inside?

The red colour only develops when nights are cold while the fruit ripens. After a mild winter, or in the tropics, the flesh can stay orange. Leaving fruit on the tree longer through cold weather deepens the colour.

Can I grow a blood orange in Queensland?

The tree grows well in South East Queensland, planted from March to September, and colour varies with the winter. In North Queensland the tree grows but the flesh stays orange without cool nights, so a navel orange is usually the better choice there.

When are blood oranges ripe?

Blood oranges ripen from winter into spring. Cut one open to check the colour and taste before picking the rest, because oranges do not keep ripening once picked.