Florida Citrus 

The citrus industry is intimately tied to Florida's image in popular culture. Citrus trees, however, are neither indigenous to Florida nor to North America. Citrus arrived with European explorers in the 16th century and quickly took root in Florida, but it was not until the 1830s that Florida developed a monopoly over cultivating citrus fruits. A devastating freeze in 1835 destroyed citrus growing efforts in the Carolinas and Georgia, beginning a permanent southward migration of the industry into Florida. Douglas Dummett's Merritt Island grove survived the 1835 freeze unscathed. His rootstock repopulated the nascent Florida citrus industry for the remainder of the 19th century. Dummett introduced the practice of "topworking" where buds from sweet varieties of citrus were fused onto the base of hardier species, such as rough lemon. Topworking, also known as "grafting," thereafter became the standard method for growing citrus in Florida.

The Florida citrus industry is around 500 years old, with roots that can be traced to early Spanish settlers. Citrus trees are believed to have been first planted in Florida between 1513 and 1565. Over the centuries, the industry grew and became increasingly profitable. With the development of steamboats and railways in the 1800s, Florida citrus crops could be more widely transported and sold. After the Great Freeze of 1894–95 wiped out much of the industry in northern Florida, it became more concentrated in the middle and southern parts of the state. A fruit fly infestation in the 1920s was another setback, but the development of citrus concentrate by the Florida Citrus Commission in the 1940s allowed juice to be frozen, stored, and transported, increasing the market for and popularity of Florida orange juice.