The Encyclopedia for the Fruits That Start with O

Fruits That Start with O

Fruits that start with O might be challenging to come up with, but we’ve got a few for you. This article contains a large list about the fruits with O, with a short description for each one.

If you want to see the entire list for the fruits that start with the letter O, check the table of contents.

Oeillade Noire 

Oeillade noire is a red French grape variety historically grown in the Languedoc and Provence wine regions, now close to extinction. It is often confused with the Rhone wine grape Cinsault and Picardan, although they have no known relation. The name “œillade” may come from the French word ouiller, meaning “to top up,” which is probably a reference to the winemaking practice of using different wines to “top up” barrels and other containers to prevent oxidation and spoilage. It is a mid-ripening grape variety that tends to produce high amounts of large berries and clusters and is susceptible to viticultural hazards. According to Jancis Robinson, œillade noire tends to create soft, fruity, light-bodied red wines of modest alcohol levels that are meant to be consumed young.

Ogeechee tupelo

Ogeechee tupelo is a deciduous tree found in the Nyssaceae family and native to the southeastern US coast. It prefers moist acidic soils and full sun to partial shade, and it can grow up to 30-50 feet tall with a pyramidal form. The tree is dioecious, and its flowers are not showy, but its red fruits are edible and have a lime-like taste. The tree attracts bees and songbirds, making it an excellent addition to a wildlife garden. It is resistant to flooding but should be protected from harsh winds. Unfortunately, the tree can suffer from scale, tupelo leaf minor, rust, and leaf spot, and its fruits can be messy on hardscapes.

Oil palm fruit

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is a species native to west and southwest Africa and is the principal source of palm oil. The fruit of the oil palm takes 5-6 months to develop, and each fruit is made up of a fleshy, oily outer layer (the pericarp) and a single seed (the palm kernel) rich in oil. As a result, oil palms can produce much more per unit of land area than most other oil-producing plants. For each hectare of oil palm, the annual production averages 20 tonnes of fruit, yielding 4,000 kg of palm oil and 750 kg of seed kernels producing 500 kg of high-quality palm kernel oil and 600 kg of kernel meal. All modern, commercial planting material consists of tenera palms or DxP hybrids, obtained by crossing thick-shelled dura with shell-less pisifera.

Okra

Abelmoschus esculentus, commonly known as Okra or lady’s fingers, is a flowering plant belonging to the mallow family. Its fruit is a pod used in the cuisines of many countries. The plant is believed to be an allopolyploid of uncertain parentage. The origin is disputed, with supporters of West African, Ethiopian, Southeast Asian, and South Asian roots. Okra was introduced to the Americas by ships plying the Atlantic slave trade in the 17th century and was well established in the Southern United States by 1800. The plant is cultivated throughout the world’s tropical and warm temperate regions and is heat- and drought-tolerant.

Olallieberry

The Olallieberry is a blackberry developed by the USDA-ARS and Oregon State University. It is a selection from a cross between the Black Logan (or Mammoth) and the youngberry, created by Judge James Logan and Byrnes M. Young, respectively. The original cross was made in 1935, selected in 1937, then named “Olallie,” and released in 1950. The Ollalieberry was later hybridized with the Chehalem blackberry to produce the Marion blackberry or Marionberry, which was called the official state pie of Oregon in 2017.

Olives

The Olea europaea is a small tree or shrub species found in the Mediterranean Basin and cultivated in many countries worldwide. Its olive fruit is used to produce olive oil and is a core ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine. The evergreen tree typically grows up to 8-15 meters and has silvery green leaves and small white flowers. Olives are harvested in the green to purple stage, and about 80% of them are used to produce olive oil, while the remaining 20% are used as table olives. Olive oil is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, and soaps. It is a significant product of countries like Spain, Portugal, Italy, Tunisia, Greece, and Turkey.

Orangelo

Orangelo (C. paradisi × C. sinensis) is a citrus fruit believed to have originated in Puerto Rico, resulting from a natural cross between a grapefruit and an orange. In 1956, Carlos G. Moscoso noticed the fruit’s unique characteristics and developed the hybrid commonly known as the chironja. Orangelos are sweeter and brighter in color than grapefruit and easier to peel, with a round to pear-shaped appearance and 9-13 segments. They are often eaten like grapefruit, cut in half, and eaten with a spoon.

Oranges

Oranges are sweet, citrus fruits belonging to the family Rutaceae and are primarily represented by Citrus sinensis. However, there are other related species, including bitter oranges. The sweet orange is a hybrid of mandarin and pomelo, with the maternal line being that of the pomelo. Oranges originated from a region encompassing Southern China, Northeast India, and Myanmar, and the earliest mention of sweet oranges dates back to 314 BC. Sweet oranges are grown in tropical and subtropical climates, accounting for approximately 70% of citrus production. Oranges are commonly eaten fresh or processed for juice, and the rind is often used as a food flavoring or garnish. As a result, orange juice is rich in vitamin C, dietary fiber, and other nutrients.

Oregon grape

Mahonia aquifolium, also known as Oregon grape, is an evergreen shrub native to western North America. The shrub produces pinnate leaves with spiny leaflets and dense clusters of yellow flowers in early spring, followed by dark bluish-black berries. The berries are tart and are used in the diet of some aboriginal peoples in the Pacific Northwest. The species is recognized as the state flower of Oregon. The plant is not related to true grapes, but it gets its name from the grape-like clusters of berries. It is resistant to summer drought and tolerates poor soils, making it a popular choice in shady or woodland plantings.

Oroblanco

The oroblanco (Citrus maxima x Citrus paradisi), also known as oro blanco, pomelit, or sweetie, is a hybrid citrus fruit that is seedless and sweet, similar to a grapefruit. It was developed by crossing an acidless pomelo with a white tetraploid grapefruit, producing less bitter and acidic fruit. The oroblanco was patented in 1981 by the University of California, where it was developed. It has a thicker rind than grapefruit and lacks bitterness even when the outer peel is still green. The fruit is available from September through December and is often eaten at breakfast by peeling and separating it into segments.

Ortanique

Ortanique is a citrus fruit hybrid of the mandarin orange and the sweet orange, a variety of tangor (C. reticulata × sinensis), with a thick easy-to-peel rind and a sour-sweet, full-flavored orange pulp. The name Ortanique comes from the words “orange”, “tangerine”, and “unique”, and was recognized by the Jamaica Agricultural Society as created by David Daniel Phillips in 1939. Tangors are purposely bred or accidental hybrids of the sweet orange and the mandarin, producing several varieties, and have been cultivated in various tropical and warm temperate regions since the 19th century.

Osteen mango

‘Osteen’ is a commercial mango cultivar in Merritt Island, Florida. The original tree grew from a seed planted in 1935 on the property of S.A. Osteen and first fruited in 1940. The fruit is oblong with a rounded base and apex that sometimes contains a small beak. The smooth skin has a yellow background color but usually turns dark purple. The flesh is nearly fiberless and has a mild yet sweet flavor. The tree is a vigorous grower and produces dense canopies. The Osteen mango is still grown on a small commercial scale in Florida and is favored in Europe.

Otaheite gooseberry

Phyllanthus acidus, also known as Otaheite gooseberry, Malay gooseberry, Tahitian gooseberry, country gooseberry, star gooseberry, or starberry, is a tropical or subtropical fruit tree that produces small yellow berries with a sour and tart taste. The tree reaches 9m in height and has dense and bushy branches with ovate or lanceolate leaves. The flowers can be male, female, or hermaphrodite, and the fruits are oblate with 6 to 8 ribs and 4 to 6 seeds in a stone at the center of each fruit. The plant is native to Madagascar and found throughout Asia, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The tree is cultivated for its ornamental value. Still, also food and medicinal purposes, and various parts of the plant are used for food.

Oval Kumquat

The Nagami kumquat, which is also referred to as the oval kumquat, is a petite, elongated fruit that is consumed entirely, including the skin. It matures during the mid-to-late winter season and usually has a tangy flesh while the skin has a pleasant sweetness. The combination creates an exceptional blend of tartness and sweetness when eaten together. The ‘Centennial Variegated’ kumquat variety, on the other hand, is a mutation of the oval kumquat that yields a greater quantity of fruit and has a unique appearance with bright green and yellow striped skin.

Owari satsuma

Citrus unshiu is a citrus species that is semi-seedless and easy-peeling. It is also known as miyagawa mandarin, unshu mikan, cold hardy mandarin, satsuma mandarin, satsuma orange, naartjie, and owari satsuma. It is believed to have originated in either Japan or China. Still, the theory that it was created in the Satsuma province in Japan became more credible due to multiple genetic studies conducted in the 2010s. Satsumas are known for their loose, leathery skin, and their fruit is easily peeled compared to other citrus fruits. In addition, satsumas are cold-hardy, and when planted in colder locations, the fruit becomes sweeter from the colder temperatures.