Connie Gee Dragonfruit is a rare hybrid created by Don Burnett in Southern California, blending Hylocereus stenopterus and Hylocereus guatemalensis to produce a remarkably fast-growing climbing cactus that sets fruit just 40 to 42 days after flowering. The plant bears medium-sized blooms with creamy white and yellow inner petals and bright yellow outer sepals, followed by softball-sized fruits averaging one pound with a distinctive green skin that eventually develops red undertones. This hybrid combines the vigor of its three-species parentage with exceptional flavor and prolific fruiting, earning perfect marks for both taste and production in regional trials.
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Connie Gee matures fruit faster than most dragonfruit varieties, delivering ripe fruit within 40 to 42 days of bloom. The green-skinned fruit conceals a pink flesh with a Brix rating of 19 to 20, offering complex flavor that tastes best when picked at peak greenness rather than waiting for color change. Its three-sided stems remain bright green under ideal conditions and grow with remarkable speed, while the flowers open just before dusk in a sequence earlier than other Hylocereus varieties, making pollination timing more predictable for home growers.
Connie Gee dragonfruit is eaten fresh, with the pink flesh scooped directly from the green skin using a spoon. The fruit's high sugar content and complex flavor profile make it suitable for fresh consumption at peak ripeness.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Pick fruit 40 to 42 days after the flower opens, when the flavor reaches its peak despite the skin remaining predominantly green. Allow the fruit to fully mature on the plant; some red color will begin to bleed through the green skin about five days after optimal harvest timing, but flavor is superior when the fruit is picked while still primarily green. Gently twist or cut the fruit from the stem, handling it carefully to avoid bruising the tender skin.
Train Connie Gee onto trellising systems as it grows, directing the three-sided stems upward to maximize light exposure and fruiting. Remove any stems showing excessive rust spotting or disease damage, cutting back to healthy green material. Since this variety is a vigorous climber, regular training and selective pruning will encourage branching and increase flowering sites.
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“Connie Gee emerged from the careful, methodical work of Don Burnett, a Southern California dragonfruit hybridizer who spent years refining crosses to unlock rare traits. Burnett selected a female clone called Connie Mayer and hand-pollinated her flowers with pollen from another superior hybrid designated G1, creating a seedling he initially labeled 1-2. After observing its exceptional performance over multiple growing seasons, Burnett approved the name Connie Gee, a tribute to both Connie Mayer and the G1 parent. Spicy Exotics nursery subsequently collected and propagated this variety, bringing it to gardeners who value both the story and the superior flavor it delivers.”