El Grullo – Dragon Fruit Variety

Description

El Grullo is a standout new variety introduced in 2023, with its first fruit harvested in December 2024. This dragon fruit belongs to the Hylocereus ocamponis species group and originates from El Grullo in Jalisco State, Mexico, where it was collected by R. Lobo. It is closely related to the well-known Valdivia Roja.

One of the most impressive features of El Grullo is its exceptional tolerance to both heat and cold. The plant develops attractive greyish-green stems with a natural grey coating, which helps protect it during hotter months as well as colder periods—making it a hardy and adaptable variety.

El Grullo produces oval fruit with purplish-red skin and deep red flesh, typically weighing 400–500 g. It blooms with white flowers featuring yellow-red calyx segments and has a fast turnaround of roughly 40 days from flower to fruit.

Key Features

• New variety (2023) – first fruit Dec 2024

• Hylocereus ocamponis

• Origin: El Grullo, Jalisco, Mexico

• Collected by R. Lobo

• Closely related to Valdivia Roja

• Excellent heat & cold tolerance

• Greyish-green stems with natural protective coating

• Oval fruit, purplish skin, deep red flesh

• Average fruit size: 400–500 g

• Self-sterile – requires cross-pollination

• White flowers with yellow-red calyx

• Only 40 days from flower to ripe fruit

• Sourced from a QLD hobby grower

Taste

El Grullo delivers a very sweet flavour profile with distinctive red plum notes.

• Brix: 18

• Flavour: Sweet, rich, red-plum character

• Although some sources (such as Spicy Exotics) report earthy beet flavours, we found none of this—only sweetness and fruitiness.