AX

Store: Shulman Dragon Fruit Orchard • Moorpark, CA, US

The AX dragon fruit (also known as Asunta-X or Asunta Cross) is a hybrid variety known for its sweet, magenta or purple-pink flesh and green skin, even when ripe. It is a self-sterile variety that requires cross-pollination to produce fruit. 

Key Characteristics and Flavor

The "AX" name stands for Asunta Cross (A x Unknown, or Asunta 1 or 2 crossed with Condor or an unknown variety), a series developed by California rare fruit grower Edgar Valdivia. 

• Flesh Color: Magenta or purple-pink.
• Taste: Described as very sweet with no acidity, having notes of watermelon, cantaloupe, mango, and banana, or even a unique berry/red grape flavor. It has a Brix rating of around 19-21. Some sources mention a potential "onion flavor" if left on the vine for too long.
• Appearance: The fruit has green skin with lime green fins and a pink undertone, which makes determining ripeness challenging. It is recommended to harvest approximately 60 days after the flower opens.
• Plant/Flower: The plant is a vigorous grower and relatively easy to train on a trellis. It produces large, showy purple or reddish-purple flowers that bloom at dusk and close at sunrise.