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Dragon fruit varieties and species

What are the different dragon fruit varieties and species?

Common species

Although there are many, here are the five main species of dragon fruit in the genus Selenicereus:

1. Selenicereus Undatus - Pink skinned fruit with white flesh, the most commonly seen "dragon fruit"
2. Selenicereus Costaricensis - Red skinned fruit with red flesh
3. Selenicereus Polyrhizus - Red skinned fruit with red flesh. Segments are often triangular.
4. Selenicereus Guatemalensis - Pink skinned with magenta flesh, similar to S. Undatus but with different growth characteristics
5. Selenicereus Megalanthus - Yellow skinned fruit with white flesh, grown commercially on smaller scales, especially in Colombia

Popular named varieties

Dragon fruit has numerous named cultivars with varying characteristics. Some popular varieties include:

• American Beauty - Magenta flesh with pink skin. Early season bloomer. Self Fertile.
• Physical Graffiti - Red flesh variety with fantastic flavor. Great producer.
• Sugar Dragon - Sweet variety with excellent production. Small fruit.
• Lake Atitlan - Flavorful red fleshed variety, large fruit. Great producer.
• Purple Haze - Popular purple fleshed variety, large fruit. Excellent flavor.
• Ecuador Palora - Yellow skinned, white-fleshed variety. Incredibly sweet.
• Halley's Comet - Purple fleshed variety with great flavor. Great production.

When selecting a variety, consider not only factors such as sweetness (Brix), but flavor complexity, fruit production, hardiness, and very importantly, plant vigor.

What makes a "Top Tier" variety

To be considered an actual "Top Tier" variety, a dragon fruit plant must meet the following requirements:

1. The dragon in question should grow well.
2. The dragon in question should be hardy.
3. The dragon in question should produce flavorful fruit.
4. The dragon in question should be a good producer of fruit.