After canker catastrophe, scientists want to bring back Florida’s zest for citrus

The second prong of the offensive is a new tree. In 2010, Fred Gmitter, Jr., a professor of citrus breeding and genetics, used Honeybell tangelos and a Spanish Clementine to create a Sugar Belle tree that grows a variety of oranges. He calls it a mandarin hybrid. It looks like a tangelo but taste like something new. “It has a unique aroma, a lot of fragrance, it’s sweet and has a good punch,” he said.