Plant Library

Description:

Attractive foliage is displayed on this vigorous large shrub, or small tree; fragrant flowers followed by large, mostly seedless, yellow grapefruit with a rosy blush; ruby red flesh has a pleasant sweet-tart flavor; a great landscape accent or patio plant

Edible Qualities

Star Ruby Grapefruit is a large shrub that is commonly grown for its edible qualities. It produces large yellow round fruit with a rose blush and ruby-red flesh which are usually ready for picking from late fall to late winter. The seedlessfruits have a tangy taste and a juicy texture.

The fruit are most often used in the following ways:

• Fresh Eating
• Juice-Making

Features & Attributes

Star Ruby Grapefruit features showy clusters of fragrant white star-shaped flowers with buttery yellow eyes at the ends of the branches from early to mid spring. It has attractive dark green foliage with light green undersides which emerges chartreuse in spring. The glossy oval leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter. It features an abundance of magnificent yellow berries with rose blush from mid fall to late winter.

This is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition. This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Aside from its primary use as an edible, Star Ruby Grapefruit is sutiable for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Hedges/Screening
• Orchard/Edible Landscaping
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Star Ruby Grapefruit will grow to be about 20 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 25 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more. This is a self-pollinating variety, so it doesn't require a second plant nearby to set fruit.

This shrub is typically grown in a designated area of the yard because of its mature size and spread. It does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Star Ruby Grapefruit is a good choice for the edible garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Its large size and upright habit of growth lend it for use as a solitary accent, or in a composition surrounded by smaller plants around the base and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.