Field Notes

Florida Man

August 8, 2026

Florida Man — The Dragon Fruit That Redefines "Top Tier"

Growing them as large as we can, before release

August 6, 2026

Now THAT's one incredible fruit!

Grandiflorus, pollinated by Purpusii

July 23, 2026

Almost ready for harvest and the excitement is building! Selenicereus Grandiflorus successfully pollinated by Selenicereus Purpusii.

The first HDF tasting of 2026

July 1, 2026

Despite a number of technical difficulties, the very first HDF tasting 2026 went very well.

Peachy Keen ripens to orange salmon

June 26, 2026

Peachy Keen 🍑 is finally ripening to a wonderful orange salmon color.

A tasting at the nursery

June 23, 2026

Hello dragon fruit enthusiasts! I am proud to announce that we will be having a dragon fruit tasting at Hybridizing Dragon Fruit nursery

Plumb Crazy earns a name

June 21, 2026

I am proud to announce another of our hybrids have earned a name (#36) and will join the ranks as a new HDF exclusive hybrid: Plumb Crazy,

Bigfoot's crimson red fruit

June 21, 2026

Bigfoot 👣

Gator Tail earns a name

June 19, 2026

I am proud to announce a brand new HDF exclusive hybrid: Gator Tail, developed right here in Southwest Florida that will be available later

A preview of #39

June 18, 2026

Witness varieties being created, with this preview of #39 a two year old S. Purpusii & Halley's Comet hybrid.

The first fruits are starting to blush

June 12, 2026

UPDATE: It won't be long now. The first of the fruits are starting to blush.

Mid-term check in

June 9, 2026

A few highlights from some of the many hybrids bearing fruit currently. Mid-term check in.

Red, oblong, fuzzy, spikey

May 30, 2026

In a couple of months these will be red, oblong, fuzzy spikey fruits, giving life to something new and exciting...

Grandiflorus pollination successful

May 26, 2026

Grandiflorus pollination successful! We have had a success using S. Purpusii dragon fruit pollen! That's a hard green line pictured below.

Another night of Grandiflorus pollination

May 22, 2026

Another night of Grandiflorus pollination. Last time we used our in house Stenopterus hybrid.

#39 and its noon-opening flowers

May 16, 2026

#39 once again showing a pretty incredible phenotype. This plant's flowers all open around noon, with the flower partially open as shown

Why it is called Gator Tail

May 12, 2026

Really beautiful flower buds with the most incredible deep magenta tips and vibrant green skin, to which I feel the camera just does not do

A Lake Atitlan flower bud

May 12, 2026

Pictured below is a Lake Atitlan (Red) flower bud. Been waiting patiently for this one, as it has some wonderful traits.

Woody ribs, and why they are worth breeding for

May 6, 2026

Now these are the type of genetics you are trying to achieve. If you look at this stem morphology, you can see that this particular

Three sisters, three different buds

May 2, 2026

Three wonderful sisters, with three beautifully different flower buds. Illustrating just how important genetic diversity is when growing

Farina

April 29, 2026

Farina: A waxy film that forms on select dragon fruit cultivars. This coating protects growth from moisture, as it rolls right off, helping

One of the thirty Purpusii hybrids

April 28, 2026

Pictured below is one of our 30 Purpusii hybrids that have fully matured and is currently under evaluation.

A raised bed, and a switch to silica media

April 21, 2026

Just installed a modest 8 foot raised garden bed to house the very first of our HDF hybrids.

Buds at last on Selenicereus Grandiflorus

April 15, 2026

Finally seeing buds on Selenicereus Grandiflorus. We have been waiting some time now for these flowers.

Sugar Dragon pushes buds after three years

April 12, 2026

After almost 3 years of growing, sugar dragon is finally pushing buds! Looking forward to many future fruit and pollen!

Hello world, my name is number three

March 26, 2026

Hello world, my name is number three! I have literally hundreds of sisters, but there is not a single one like me.

A black spot on a branch

March 26, 2026

So, here I am, trimming the undergrowth on my dragons. When I notice a branch falls to the floor with a black spot on it.

First flower of the season

March 23, 2026

First flower of the season for us in SWFL. Pictured is American Beauty opening this evening. Two years running opening early in March!

Label your hybrids with paint markers

March 9, 2026

HDF tip of the day: Make sure to use silver or black paint markers when labeling your hybrids!

The mother fruit, beside hybrid #3

On the right hand side is a fruit from the mother plant (Selenicereus Purpusii) of our new hybrids, selected for its unique hardiness and

Modest in size, remarkable in flavor

Another of our HDF created hybrids has fruited, and this one is something really special!

The first Purpusii x Halley's Comet fruit

The first of our Purpusii x Halley's Comet hybrids have produced their first round of fruit.

The first Steno hybrid fruit, harvested

The first of the Steno hybrid fruits has been harvested. Wonderful Steno x Purpusii seeds just waiting to been grown!

HDF varieties fruiting for the very first time

HDF - Created varieties fruiting for the very first time! Excited to taste the fruit, and further evaluate these rare hybrids!

Seven years from seed to first flower

A dragon fruit hybrid started from seed seven years ago, flowering for the very first time. Hoping the fruit is as sweet as the smell!

Red Chimera

Red Chimera. A very rare and rather beautiful dragon fruit hybrid that has the distinctive genetics of two different genus of cactus at the

The Stenopterus hybrid flowers

Our Selenicereus Stenopterus hybrid is flowering for the first time. Updates of this incredibly rare flower, soon to follow...

Seven years waited, seven days to go

This little dragon has waited 7 years to flower, and it will open in roughly 7 more days. A new hybrid grown from seed naturally.

Superbloom

SUPERBLOOM! Nine flowers opened at the same time on my Purpusii last night! What a spectacular event!

The first of many nights of pollination

The first of many nights of pollination. Selenicereus Purpusii is quite a producer. The smell is absolutely intoxicating!