Mother Orange Tree of Butte County

The bronze calls it the oldest living orange tree in California and leaves out how nearly it stopped living. The seedling came from Mazatlán by way of a Sacramento street and has been moved twice: across the river in 1862, away from floods, and here in 1964, ahead of Oroville Dam. Freezes in 1990 and 1998 ended its fruiting, and it is kept going with a greenhouse, heat lamps and misters. Budwood cut in 2001 grew clones at UC Riverside, and in 2022 one became a named variety, Bidwell's Bar. A printed panel stands beside the tree.

What the plaque says

Mother Orange Tree of Butte County Judge Joseph Lewis planted this Mediterranean Sweet Orange seedling near the toll bridge at Bidwell's Bar, Butte County, California in 1856. It has survived hard times and is the oldest living orange tree in California. "From its example and largely from its offspring, a new industry was started in a new section hundreds of miles north of a known citrus region. It was a true pioneer." - Dr. H. J. Webber, Director, Citrus Experiment Station, Riverside, 1927. The Mother Orange was moved from Bidwell Bar during the construction of Oroville Dam in 1964 to protect it from inundation. California Registered Historical Landmark No. 1043 Plaque placed by California State Parks in cooperation with the Butte County Historical Society and U.C. Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor for Citrus in Butte County, May 6, 2006.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Empire Mine State Historic Park — 32 mi
  The oldest, deepest, richest hard-rock gold mine in California, with 367 miles of flooded tunnels underneath.

More markers nearby

• Discovery Site of the Last Yahi Indian — 0.9 mi
• Chinese Temple — 3.1 mi
• Old Suspension Bridge — 3.2 mi
• Bidwell's Bar — 3.2 mi