Overview
H. stenopterus × undatus, cv. Connie Mayer
Other names: none
Pollination: self-sterile
Connie Mayer is one of the three hybrids created by Eckhard Meier of Germany, the other two being Bruni and Kathy Van Arum. It is almost identical to Bruni, while Kathy Van Arum is noticeably different with a light pink flesh. Connie Mayer is a fast grower and sets fruit with very little biomass. The main drawcard for this variety is the beautiful flowers, which in this case are inherited from the Hylocereus stenopterus parent (as opposed to, say, a Hylocereeae hybrid in the case of Jade Red). In my opinion the taste is a little underwhelming, though some people do seem to like it. It is quite different from most dragon fruit, and opinions in general seem to be quite divided.
Buds
This variety buds early, though not too early so that pollen can’t be collected from other, self-fertile varieties. The buds are purple tipped, hinting at the tremendous display to come, though they are a sight in themselves. However, the real beauty starts when the buds begin to open, and purple petals begin to unfurl revealing the reason many people have this variety in their collection.
Flowers
As hinted at earlier, the flowers of Connie Mayer a truly a sight to behold. They are just the most beautiful purple, and even though they’re a little smaller than most dragon fruit flowers, they’re certainly larger than most flowers that rival them in colour. I particularly like the contrast between the purple and yellow. One thing I found when pollinating was that the stigma is very sturdy and of course protrudes well away from the anthers. The stigma has split lobes.
Fruit
The fruits of Connie Mayer are quite small, and they never fully change colour. In fact, it is probably best to pick them green and I’m hoping this is the reason I wasn’t too fond of the taste, which declined as I left fruits on for longer. However, the taste is certainly unique with hints of coconut and a reasonable sweetness. I’ve heard that Kathy Van Arum is sweeter again, and some even think Bruni is the tastiest. At this stage I’m not planning on growing Bruni as I assume it tastes very similar.
