DELAND, Fla. — As the community commemorates Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Spectrum News is celebrating the stories that pay tribute to generations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have made a difference across central Florida.

That includes Florida’s citrus industry.

What You Need To Know

  • DeLand’s "Citrus Wizard," Lue Gim Gong, immigrated to the United States from China in 1872

  • Lue found a way to work on a strain of orange that could resist frost, as Florida saw severe freezes in the 1890s.

  • Lue died in 1925, but His impact could be felt across DeLand — a mural of him resides in the city along with a head bust

On the campus of Rollins College, a place filled with history of its own, visitors can find a story not many Floridians know: the one about DeLand’s "Citrus Wizard," Lue Gim Gong. 

Professor Wenxian Zhang’s research has led to a collection of Lue’s life, a story full of many challenges and accomplishments. 

Zhang says Lue immigrated to the United States from China in 1872. 

He started working at a shoe factory in San Francisco, then eventually made his way to Massachusetts. 

It was there he learned English at a Chinese Sunday school, joined the Baptist church, and met who he called his mother — and the greatest influence in his life — a woman named Fannie, Zhang said.

“Eventually Fannie adopted Lue as her son," Zhang said. "So, Lue went directly to Florida and became a part-time resident."

It was in DeLand where Lue got his iconic nickname, “The Citrus Wizard,” but it didn’t come out if nowhere. 

Zhang said Lue spent time with plants when he worked in orange groves in China, and his mother taught him how to cross-pollinate blossoms and graft stock. 

Lue was talented and wanted to find a way to work on a strain of orange that could resist frost, as Florida saw severe freezes in the 1890s, Zhang said.

Lue crossed the Florida Harts Late orange with a variety from the Mediterranean region, and the result was a sweet, juicy fruit that could endure severe weather, Zhang said.

Lue’s name and discoveries, however, would bring him fame, not fortune.

“The New York Times called him the Chinese fruit wizard, but he was often cheated by his distributors,” Zhang said. 

One man working to bring Lue fame is DeLand artist Courtney Canova. 

“It’s an honor for me to talk about him," Canova said. "I don’t represent Asians, but I represent bringing attention to the life that Lue Gim Gong lived here."

Canova spent a lot of time perfecting a mural of Lue in downtown DeLand to make sure he got it right.

“I love the idea of going through a garden that’s like that because it wouldn’t just be oranges, it would be all kinds of fruits and vegetables,” Canova said. 

Across town at the the West Volusia Historical Society, the achievements Lue received posthumously, and his personal belongings are on display.

Some items include Leu's silver wilder medal, his bible and death mask. 

But for many, it’s what’s outside that’s special.

“The marble bust of Lue is to honor his legacy and his contributions," said West Volusia Historical Societyh executive director Sarah Finch. "It was installed at the historical society. Up here you can see it says, ‘No-one should live in this world for himself alone but do good for those who come after him.’ That’s the motto Lue had lived by."   

Lue died in 1925, and on his gravestone in the Oakdale Cemetery, that same motto is engraved. 

Even though Lue is gone, Finch said his story continues to inspire those who want to learn more about him. 

“Lue believed in doing good for the community and making the world a better place,” she said.