From the Archives: Citrus Greats – Odet Philippe

Odet Philippe, a former surgeon for Napoleon, arrived on the eastern coast of Florida in the early 1800s. Him and his family did not stay here long because they were feuding with the Native Americans already living in the area. So, they decided to leave Florida and set sail for the Caribbean Islands. He landed on the Florida Keys where he met a pirate who told him about Old Tampa Bay and how it was vacant, so he encouraged Phillipe to try again in this region.

Once again, Philippe and his family set sail back to Florida; they settled in present day Safety Harbor and named it St. Helena. He immediately began building his plantation; however, in 1848, a hurricane destroyed part of it. This did not discourage Philippe; he began working to repair the damage and make the entire structure stronger than it previously was.

It is believed that Odet Philippe planted one of the first citrus groves on the west coast of Florida with seeds he brought from the Caribbean. He did many experiments on citrus and the effects of grafting different citrus trees. Grafting is a process used to create the best type of plants. The tissues of two different plants are joined together; this is done to combine the most desirable traits of each plant to create an especially desirable plant. The tissues that are being spliced together start to grow into one another going from two different pieces into one uniform plant. In this case grapefruit was created by grafting an orange with a pomelo. Through these experiments he may have created the grapefruit. In 1892, A. L. Duncan introduced the Duncan grapefruit, which he stated that he got the trees  from Philippe. Today, you can visit the site of Odet Philippe’s plantation and find evidence of his early planting that led to this creation.

 

Odet Philippe was inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame in 1963 https://floridacitrushalloffame.com/inductees/odet-philippe/. 

Written by Tanzy Zviitwah, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Fellow
In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center
Spring 2024

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Sources:

Jie, Ma Wen. “How to Graft Grapefruit Trees.” Garden Guides, September 21, 2017. https://www.gardenguides.com/115127-graft-grapefruit-trees.html.

Mack, Thomas B. Citrifacts II: A Portion of Florida Citrus History. Bartow, Florida: Associated Publications Corporation, 1998.

From the Archives: Citrus Greats - Walter T. Swingle

Similar to any scientific field, early researchers paved the way for the current researchers. This post will acknowledge just one of the many monumental discoveries made in the citrus industry. Starting with Walter T. Swingle, he was a botanist sent to Florida from Washington, D.C. He was originally sent to Florida with the goal of researching the citrus disease plaguing groves at the time. During his time in Florida, he became a part of some of the early research concerning hybrids and hybridization. Swingle is specifically credited with creating the Tangelo, a cross between a tangerine and a pomelo.

Hybridization is a beneficial tool because it allows researchers to combine the most desirable characteristics of two different species to create an entirely new species. This is different from genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, because the genes in GMOs have been altered or enhanced while hybridization takes advantage of the natural traits found in each plant species. This can be done by collecting a sample of the DNA found in each species, unwrapping it, and pairing them with one another to create a DNA helix that has one strand from species A and one strand from species B.

Herbert J. Webber worked alongside Swingle to perfect their hybridization techniques. The pair published several papers, books, bulletins, and pamphlets together discussing the research they had conducted and providing growers with helpful information to aid in the efficiency of growing citrus groves. Webber and Leon D. Batchelor then published The Citrus Industry. This book detailed the history of the citrus industry, botany, and methods used to breed citrus. Citrus growers used these books to aid in their growing techniques and to learn more about the citrus industry. Although not mentioned, there are numerous other researchers and scientists who played a fundamental role in the advancements of the Florida Citrus Industry.

Walter T. Swingle was inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame in 1962 as part of the inaugural class: https://floridacitrushalloffame.com/inductees/walter-tennyson-swingle/.

Written by Tanzy Zviitwah, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Fellow
In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center
Spring 2024

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Sources:

Johnson, Alexander. “How Does Plant Hybridization Work?” ScienceOxygen, September 14, 2022. https://scienceoxygen.com/how-does-plant-hybridization-work/.

Mack, Thomas B. Citrifacts II: A Portion of Florida Citrus History. Bartow, Florida: Associated Publications Corporation, 1998.