Image – Flickr/Manual
The orange tree is a tree widely planted in orchards, as well as in large and small gardens. It is not only a pretty plant, but also useful as it casts cool shade and produces many fruits in the spring. But although it is well known, the question may arise whether it is perennial or deciduous; that is, if it remains persistent or if, on the contrary, it loses its leaves at a certain time of the year.
Why can this happen? Well, for various reasons: low temperatures, parasites or simple ignorance. SO If you are wondering if the orange tree is deciduous or perennial, we will solve the doubt.
Contents
Is it persistent or obsolete?
Image – Wikimedia/Hans Braxmeier
The orange tree does not need to lose its leaves in their place of origin, so it is always green by nature. Indeed, the cell walls of these leaves are strong enough to withstand the cold and the occasional snow. For this reason, it behaves this way in regions with a warm climate, such as the subtropical (including the Mediterranean).
But things can change a lot if it is grown in an area where, on the contrary, snowfalls are recurrent, because yes, it can withstand sub-zero temperatures, but only up to a certain point. Actually, should not be left unprotected if the thermometer reads less than -7 ºCand even less if it is a tree that is already flowering because otherwise it will lose these flowers.
In what cases can the orange tree look like a deciduous tree?
I told you about the cold, the snow, etc., but that’s not the only reason. For this reason, I consider it important that you know why an orange tree can lose its leaves and what you should do about it:
Extreme temperatures (hot/cold)
Image – Wikimedia/Emőke Dénes
Every living being performs its vital functions within a certain range of temperatures; even humans feel more comfortable in one climate than another (and thus, it is also said that some of us are cold and others are hot). Exactly the same thing happens with orange: you will see it grow as long as the temperatures stay between 15 and 30 ºC, but if they drop below 15 ºC or exceed 30 ºC, this growth will slow down.
But there is even more. We also need to talk about temperatures that can be life threatening. For example, in the case of humans, if it rises to 41°C and we don’t drink water, we would have serious problems (headaches or irritability for example), and if it continues to rise. .. our lives would be in danger danger. In the case of the orange tree, something similar would happen: can withstand temperatures of 40ºC but only if you stay hydrated; and even so, you will feel much better if you do not exceed 35ºC.
If we go to the other extreme, we said before that supports frost, but only down to -7ºC and if it is punctual. This means that it can withstand freezing down to -7 ºC during this winter, and only if it then rises above 0 ºC. Likewise, it is important to add that the orange tree resumes its growth as soon as the temperatures begin to rise, therefore if there are late frosts, it will suffer damagesuch as premature leaf fall.
Lack or excess of water
It is not an aquatic tree, but it is not a dry tree either. Actually, an orange tree that is planted in the ground, may need water every day if the temperatures are very high. Of course, this water can come from groundwater, rain and of course also from irrigation. But what happens when you receive more than you need? Then the roots are drowned and the leaves begin to fall.
And if, on the contrary, the plant is thirsty, the leaves will also eventually fall, since the roots, not finding enough water for themselves or for the rest of the tree, will dry out. The question is, How to know if the orange tree receives a lot or a little water? Well, in the first case, we will see that the first leaves to become ugly will be the oldest, and in the second, they will rather be the newest.
In addition, there are other symptoms or signs that will make us suspect that an orange tree is thirsty or on the contrary drowning, for example:
- if you are thirsty: the earth is very dry, perhaps even cracked. The leaves curl up to prevent water loss, and some pests such as scale insects may also appear.
- If you drown: the earth will look very humid, and fungus (mold) may appear both on the leaves and on any other part of the tree.
How to solve it? If he is thirsty, water must be poured until the earth is well soaked; and in case it has received too much water, it will be very important to apply a fungicide (on sale here) and suspend watering until the soil dries out a little.
harmful
Image – Wikimedia/harum.koh // Aphids
There are several pests that can cause an orange tree to lose its leaves prematurely, such as scale insects or aphids. These appear in spring and especially in summer, as they like good weather. The problem is that they multiply so quickly that, if you get lost, they can colonize all the leaves of the fruit tree.
For that, I recommend having a magnifying glass on hand, or downloading a mobile application that is used to identify pests, like Plantix which is available for Android mobiles. Once we know what the plague is, we can fight it. Now, if you want to treat your orange tree with eco-friendly remedies that work, I recommend applying diatomaceous earth (available here), as it’s a natural product that eliminates a wide variety of pests.
In summary, the orange tree is an evergreen tree, but if it is subjected to a lot of stress (due to lack or excess of water, cold/heat or pests), it may appear deciduous.