Valdivia Roja dragon fruit is a close cousin of El Grullo. It comes from the Mexican state of Jalisco.
Description
The species ocamponis of the genus Hylocereus is where the Valdivia Roja Dragon Fruit comes from. This type comes from the Mexican state of Jalisco. The stems are three-sided and have a grayish-white coating. The stems have medium-sized thorns.
The stems can handle both heat and cold well. However, they don’t get a perfect score because they grow slowly. DNA tests show that it is related to El Grullo, which is also a Mexican dragon fruit or pitaya, but not the same as it.
| Pollination: | Self sterile |
| Skin color: | Red |
| Flesh color: | Red |
| Days to harvest: | 40 |
| Weather tolerance: | 4 out of 5 |
| Fruit production: | 3 out of 5 |
| Flavor: | 4 out of 5 |
| Growing: | 3 out of 5 |
With an average Brix rating of 18, the fruit of Valdivia Roja weighs about 1/2 pound or more. In fact, the Brix score of our first fruit was 21. We sifted the flesh and tested 100% juice because the flesh was very firm. This juice got a score of 15. We liked how sweet the fruit was, so we thought the score should have been higher.
The fruit is shaped like an oval and is orange-red with tiny green fins. The skin isn’t very thick, but it’s flexible. The flesh is firm, has just the right amount of sweetness, is not at all sour, and has a great taste. Only if you chew on the seeds will it taste like beets The flowers are 15 inches tall and bloom at night. They smell nice. The outer petals of the white flowers are red and yellow, which makes them look very pretty.
Plant facts
- “Valdivia Roja” is a type that does well in both hot and dry places. It was first found in Mexico. This is a high-quality fruit with red flesh and a greenish-red skin;
- Dragonfruit: oblong, small, ~250 g; very firm, red flesh, greenish, thin skin with very few, short bracts. One of the best red-fleshed cultivars in terms of quality;
- ~17.9 Brix;
- in Southern California, it takes 40 days from bloom to harvest;
- Harvest time is from July to late December or January;
- The plant’s stems are thick and fleshy, very heavy, and have 3 well-defined ridges when they are young, but they become rounder as they get older. The mature stems are grayish because they have a waxy coating, and they tend to crack as they get older;
- The areoles have 1-2 spines that are 1-2 mm long. Large, pretty flowers with white petals, a yellow calyx with red edges, and light yellow anthers and stigma lobes. Very hardy;
- Self-sterile: It can’t make its own fruit. To make fruit, it needs to be crossed with another variety, which is usually done by hand;
- The plant can handle both heat and cold well. It grows well in full sun, but its commercial potential is limited because it doesn’t always set fruit.
Conclusion
With an average Brix rating of 18, the fruit of Valdivia Roja is nice and sweet. The fruit is shaped like an oval and is orange-red with tiny green fins. The size of the fruit is between 0.5-0.75 lb. The color of flesh is a deep red. The flowers are 15 inches tall and bloom at night. They smell nice.
