El Grullo Dragonfruit is a Mexican heirloom from Jalisco State that brings drama and sweetness to warm-climate gardens. This climbing cactus produces massive night-blooming flowers up to 15 inches across, with white petals and deep red-yellow calyxes, followed by striking red-skinned fruits with purplish-green fins. The flesh runs a deep crimson red, weighing around a pound per fruit with an 18 Brix sugar content and a distinctive beet-like sweetness. It tolerates both heat and cold exceptionally well, making it adaptable to varied growing conditions.
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El Grullo flowers at night with blossoms so large they command attention, then delivers generous harvests of deeply colored fruits that taste like berries crossed with earthiness. The greyish-green stems are covered in a protective gray coating that shields the plant through scorching summers and surprisingly cold winters. Its exceptional temperature tolerance and strong vigor mean gardeners in climates where most dragonfruit struggles can finally grow this variety successfully.
El Grullo dragonfruit is best enjoyed eaten fresh, where its deep red flesh and sweet-earthy flavor shine. The substantial one-pound fruits can also be incorporated into other preparations, though the source catalog suggests exploring creative uses beyond fresh consumption.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Fruits mature 30 days after the flowers bloom, progressing from green to deep red skin with purplish-green fins as they ripen. Harvest when the skin is fully colored red and the fruit yields slightly to gentle pressure. The one-pound oval fruits should be cut or twisted from the plant at peak color for best sweetness and flavor.
Pruning should focus on training the climbing stems along a sturdy trellis or support structure. Remove any weak or crossing growth to encourage a strong framework, and thin crowded stems to improve air circulation and flower visibility. Prune after fruiting to shape the plant for the next season's growth.
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“El Grullo originates from the town of El Grullo in Jalisco State, Mexico, where it evolved in tropical conditions. Spicy Exotics sourced this variety directly from a California-based tropical grower, rescuing it from obscurity and making it available to home gardeners. The variety is closely related to Valdivia Roja, suggesting a lineage within Mexico's indigenous dragonfruit genetics.”