Rex Union Orange

THESE ORANGES ARE AT RISK OF EXTINCTION DUE TO CHANGES IN THE OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE. Rex Union is a South African orange variety grown in the North West region. It is a hybrid between the pomelo and the Seville sour orange. The orange has a dark red, almost blemish-free skin with a thick pith underneath.

The flesh is very juicy and has a sour flavor, which is the reason why Rex Union is traditionally used for the production of marmalade. This orange variety was named after George Wellington Rex, a pioneer of grapefruit in South Africa. Unfortunately, today there is only one orchard containing fewer than 300 trees on Dunedin citrus farm, located in Boschfontein near Rustenburg, but half the trees are quite old and may be near their end.

At the same time, the owner of the remaining orchard has died, and the new owner has little to no interest in growing new trees, thus putting Rex Union orange at risk of extinction.