Description

Connie Gee

Connie Gee Dragon Fruit is a hybrid variety from a hybrid Hylocereus undatus and H. stenopterus crossed with Hylocereus guatemalensis. This clone is a seedling created by long-time hybridized Don Burnett from Southern California. Mr. Burnett carefully selected Connie Mayer and pollinated the flower with G1 to achieve exceptional and rare results. He called this seedling 1-2 before approving the name Connie Gee meaning “Connie” from Connie Mayer and “Gee” from G1.” Spicy Exotics collected this variety directly from Mr. Burnett. This Dragon Fruit is excellent eaten fresh, in jams, as a garnish, or as juice in drinks. Check out our Pinterest page for other great uses of this variety.

Growth

The growth of Connie Gee is a combination of H. undatus, H. stenopterus, and H. guatemalensis. The plant material is three-sided and bright green, and growth can be sensitive to the elements and react with rust when stressed. This likely comes from the H. stenopterus and H. guatemalensis genes. Under ideal conditions, this variety is a rapid grower.

Flower

The flower is a medium-sized bloom with white and yellow inner petals and yellow outer petals. The flower bud is equally beautiful, plentiful, and similar to Connie Mayer’s buds. In Louisiana, the flower opens just before dusk and closes at sunrise. When compared to other Hylocereus varieties, this is earlier. The stigma is similar to undatus species with split lobes. Pollen differs from the mother plant, being less clumpy, plentiful, and self-sterile. Connie Mayer will set fruit with pollen from other Red, White, and Pink flesh fruit varieties. Some purple types may work, but we recommend avoiding guatemalensis pollen and Hylocereus stenopterus clones.

Fruit

Fruits weigh an average weight of one pound. The fruit’s mature skin is green, making it difficult to determine when it is ripe. However, leaving it alone will eventually show some red color bleeding through the skin. We prefer the flavor of the fruit when it is still green as opposed to when it turns color. We recommend taking note of when the flower opens. To get the most flavor, pick the fruit 40 to 42 after it flowers. Colors will begin to bleed through 5 days later. When selecting green fruit, you will get the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. Test results from this fruit are usually 19 to 20 brix. Picking the fruit five days later will give the fruit a softer flesh that is sweeter, darker, less acidic, and very juicy. This fruit is less desired compared to the fruit harvested sooner. However, it is still exceptional fruit with test results at 22.5 brix.