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Atwood Navel Orange Trees for Sale
Citrus made easy for growers, nurseries, and distributors
The Atwood navel orange is a celebrated California navel selection known for exceptional eating quality, smooth rind texture, and dependable winter maturity. Discovered in 1935 by grower Frank Atwood as a limb sport of the Washington navel in Lemon Cove, California, the variety quickly earned recognition for its classic flavor and reliable production and nicknamed a “Cadillac Washington navel.“ It reflects an era when growers and researchers carefully selected natural mutations to refine superior citrus characteristics, and it remains a reminder of the heritage foundation behind modern navel programs. Atwood helped shape consumer expectations for California winter citrus with its bright rind color, seedless flesh, and consistently sweet profile.
The Atwood orange has long been appreciated for its internal quality. The fruit develops a rich winter sweetness with balanced acidity, delivering the classic navel taste associated with California citrus at its peak. The rind is typically smooth and attractive, adhering firmly enough for packing yet still easy to peel for fresh consumption. Juicy, finely textured segments and minimal rag contribute to its excellent eating experience. Many families and long-time citrus fans remember Atwood from traditional farm stands and holiday shipments, giving the fruit a nostalgic appeal alongside its horticultural value.
Atwood Navel Trees Your Way
From seed to container-ready.
How Our Atwood Orange Trees Are Different
When purchasing Gillette navel orange trees from TreeSource, growers receive clean-propagated, true-to-type material from verified budwood sources. We emphasize uniformity, strong root development, and early structure so trees establish quickly and grow evenly. Shipping is handled in heavy-duty palletized triwall containers designed to secure pots and protect canopies, ensuring trees arrive healthy, stable, and ready to plant.
For orchardists and collectors seeking a classic California navel with heirloom pedigree, the Gillette orange offers a balanced, true-navel eating experience and a reliable mid-season harvest window. Whether planted in commercial rows, boutique groves, or heritage blocks, Gillette connects growers to the foundational era of California citrus — supported today by TreeSource’s clean stock program and professional handling to ensure healthy establishment and long-term success.
Atwood Navel Orange Tree FAQs
Do you sell orange Atwood semidwarf trees?
Yes — TreeSource does offer orange Atwood semidwarf trees, and they are produced on appropriate reduced-vigor rootstocks, including C-35 for balanced growth and yield efficiency and trifoliate for a true compact framework in select planting systems. These choices give growers flexibility: C-35 provides excellent anchorage, strong fruit quality, and good disease tolerance in California soils, while trifoliate delivers tighter stature and canopy control for high-density or hand-managed sites.
Semidwarf Atwood trees maintain the classic California winter navel profile that attracted growers to the variety in the first place, combining smooth rind texture, seedless flesh, and a sweet, balanced flavor that has long been associated with the Central Valley’s traditional navel belt. With a semidwarf structure, growers gain easier pruning and harvest access and improved light distribution, while still preserving the productive nature and historical eating quality of Atwood.
What makes Atwoods stand out from other types of navel oranges?
Atwoods stand out for their classic California navel character—smooth rind, strong internal sweetness, and a clean, balanced flavor that holds beautifully in the mid-winter season. They size well, color early, and deliver consistently juicy, seedless segments with fine texture. Unlike some newer late-navel selections, Atwood excels in the traditional December–January window, and growers who want to stretch their marketing period can extend the season with a properly timed gibberellic acid (GA) program, maintaining rind condition and packable quality deeper into winter. For heritage navel flavor, reliable production, and managed season extension, Atwood remains a standout choice.
How long does it typically take for an Atwood navel orange tree to bear fruit?
Atwood navel orange trees typically begin to bear a modest amount of fruit in their second to third year after planting, with meaningful crops arriving by year four to five as the canopy fills and structure matures. As with most navels, early light cropping and good training help build a strong framework, leading to better long-term production and fruit size.
What’s the best orchard planting density for Atwood orange trees?
When planting Atwood navel orange trees, there are three proven spacing strategies, each suited to different orchard goals: standard, semidwarf, and double-density. Growers should select based on rootstock, canopy control approach, and harvest system.
The standard row-planting setup for full-size trees typically uses 18–20 feet between trees in the row and 20–22 feet between rows, translating to approximately 100–120 trees per acre. This spacing gives each tree ample room for branch development, light interception, and size control—ideal when maximizing long-term fruit size and consistent yield per tree.
On semidwarf rootstocks such as C-35 or trifoliate, growers often reduce spacing to about 14–16 feet between trees in a row with 18–20 feet between rows, yielding about 135–170 trees per acre. This tighter spacing accommodates more trees, encourages earlier production, and supports easier canopy management while still maintaining size and quality.
Most growers opt to pursue a rapid return on investment or higher acre-productivity with the double-density system. Atwood trees are planted at 9–11 feet between trees in-row and 18–20 feet between rows, placing initial densities around 180–240 trees per acre. After roughly ten years, once canopies begin to overlap and light starts to tighten, every other tree is removed, stepping the block down to a long-term spacing in the 90–120 trees-per-acre range. This approach delivers strong early yields and faster cash flow while preserving long-term productivity and fruit size once the orchard matures.
What types of soil or fertilizers do you recommend when planting Atwood navel orange trees?
Agronomic questions are best answered by a Certified Crop Advisor or your local garden center that understands local fertilizer supplies and soil conditions.