Redblush Grapefruit

Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Watering can be reduced after establishment. Feed with a general purpose fertilizer before new growth begins in spring.

A spreading tree with a broad, attractive habit, this Citrus is a beautiful specimen for a lawn. Or place it at the sunniest corner of the house or drive. Since the fruit stays attractive throughout the winter, it is an excellent addition to the winter landscape.

Complement the deep-red blush of this Citrus' fruit throughout the summer with Scarlet Trumpet Vine (Distictis buccinatoria). Gilt Edge Silverberry (Elaeagnus x ebbingei 'Gilt Edge'), an evergreen with golden margins on its rich green foliage, also looks beautiful with the grapefruit and likes the heat. To further accentuate the fruit, mix with Cherie Tropical Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Cherie'), with its golden flower and maroon throat.

This modern redblush form is a cultivar of the original species, Citrus paradisi, which is believed to have evolved from the pummelo, C. grandis. The true origin of this plant is unknown, but it's believed that like most citrus originated in southeast Asia. It was introduced to Europe by Arab traders in ancient times with citrus varieties developing in North Africa and Spain, then were sent on to the New World colonies. By 1750 it was grown in Barbados and Jamaica. In the 1820s it became established in Florida where the first commercially grown fruits appeared.

The sheer size of grapefruit so impressed Scots botanist, James Macfadyen that he assigned the species name after the paradisiacal Garden of Eden.