Overview
H. undatus × guatemalensis, cv. Blush
Other names: None that I am aware of
Pollination: self-sterile
Blush is one of three light-pink-fleshed dragon fruit varieties I have growing in the same trellis, the other two being Delight and White Sapphire. It is a relatively unknown variety in the dragon fruit world, excepting Australia where it was developed (at Tamborine Dragon Fruit Farm in Queensland). I wouldn’t say it’s anything special, if I’m being honest, though the flavour is quite fruity/tropical which might be a selling point. The plant is quite distinctive, with only one thorn at each intersection, and a nice round flower that you don’t usually see in varieties without Selenicereus DNA.
Buds
The buds on this variety are very similar to Delight, starting out as little golden blobs which grow into nice green protrusions with red tips. The main difference occurs when they are about to open, with Blush being more rounded on the flower end and Delight being pointier. This hints at the next obvious difference between the two varieties, which is of course the flower.
Flowers
Blush produces flowers which are unusually round for the Hylocereus genus, which makes them quite attractive. As you might expect from a self-sterile variety, the stigma protrudes well away from the anthers, so make sure you cross pollinate. I would say the flowers are a touch smaller than average, and have more of a yellow tinge, enhanced by the neat circular shape of the petals around the anthers.
Fruit
In my limited experience, Blush produces fruit of a reasonable size, with a nice pink skin which is not excessively vibrant. The flesh is pale pink, which is rare but not unique among dragon fruit varieties, and likely the source of its name. Unfortunately, the texture wasn’t quite there for me, being a little soft and mushy which kind of ruined the complex tropical flavours from coming through. Hopefully the fruit improves as the plant matures.
