Photography by Scott McIntyre Metropolis Who Killed the Florida Orange? Deep in desiccated Southern groves, the powerhouse of American citrus is suffering a brutal, unrelenting decline. No one wants to face what that means. By Enter your email to receive alerts for this author. Sign in or create an account to better manage your email preferences. Unsubscribe from email alerts Are you sure you want to unsubscribe from email alerts for Alexander Sammon ? April 20, 2026 5:40 AM Quiet fell over the room, which was neither full nor very loud to begin with, and the 2026 Florida Citrus Show began. “It should be a great day,” began the event’s first speaker. “Rain should hold off today, even though we definitely need more rain.” No one laughed. There was no need to say that things were bad. Everyone knew it. The mood wasn’t sour—citrus farmers could handle sour. It was something else. Postapocalyptic.…