| Latin Name : | Citrus aurantium ssp. amara |
| English Name : | Bitter orange |
| French Name : | Orange amère |
| Family : | Rutaceae |
| Origin : | Spain, Italy, Morocco, Tunisia, India |
History and Origin
The bitter orange tree is originating from China and is very close to the sweet orange tree. It can reach up to 15 meters in height. Its leaves have an oval form and its flowers are white. Its fruit, the bigarade, is a smaller citrus than the sweet orange. Its skin is orange, rough and thick. Its flesh is acid and contains a lot of seeds. The acidity of the fruit makes it unpleasant to eat plain. The leaves of this tree are used to produce petitgrain essential oil and the flowers are used to make neroli essential oil.