Cara Cara navel orange, a mutation that occurred on a Washington navel orange tree, was discovered in 1976 at Hacienda Cara Cara in Venezuela.
Most tree and fruit characteristics reflect its Washington navel orange ancestry, but the flesh is deep pink, similar to the darkest of the red grapefruit varieties. This rich color is due to the presence of lycopene, a carotenoid in the same family as beta carotene. Rarely, the normally green-leafed trees will produce variegated-leafed twigs. These twigs, when left to grow and fruit, may produce fruits with striped rind.
