Flying Dragon fruit set sometime after Thanksgiving

[Unicyclemike]

I was very surprised to see this fruit hanging from my flying dragon tree.  It had to have set not long ago.  I live in Zone 7a in South Central Pa.  Our weather has been consistently 5-10 degrees above normal. They usually set in the middle of spring, right?

[Florian]

Mine always flowers in spring and then again sometime in summer. The spring fruits are larger and smooth, the summer fruits have a pebbled surface like the one in your picture.

[Unicyclemike]

Interesting....Mine has only been on the tree less than a month.  I check all of my fruit trees weekly. I have 14 different varieties of fruit trees.

Mike ADams

[brian]

Very nice.  I will have to check the PT I planted in the woods and see if it has any fruit, I haven't checked on it in a while.

I was 6b in Montgomery County, not sure if I was upgraded to 7a with the latest maps

[sc4001992]

Mike, your flying dragon thorns are not curved like most of them I have seen, is it a variation from the flying dragon?

[brian]

Ah, good observation... it looks like regular poncirus.  Even from flying dragon seed I think only about half of the seeds maintain the curved thorns flying dragon is known for. 

[Unicyclemike]

I do not know enough about Flying Dragon fruit tree to know the difference.  That was what I was told when someone gave it to me.

Mike Adams

[brian]

If you are growing for the fruit it should be the same

The flying dragon subtype is known for its dwarfing effect when used as a rootstock, and has curved thorns and contorted limbs.

[sc4001992]

I noticed when I was juicing the FD fruits to get the seeds out, the juice has some strong sticky thing in it. I forgot to rinse the juicer parts after I finished with 100 fruits, and when I tried to clean it a day later it was so difficult to remove the juice/pulp that was still on it.

[BorisR]

I noticed when I was juicing the FD fruits to get the seeds out, the juice has some strong sticky thing in it.

This is the famous poncirus resin, which hardy-hybridizers are trying to get rid of in addition to bitterness and smell. Some ponciruses have more of it, some have less.

[sc4001992]

Well one of my neighbor likes to use the FD juice to make some drinks (with alcohol) so I gave him all the juice from the fruits when I removed the seeds.

I noticed when juicing the Carrizo fruits I picked up, it doesn't have that strong resin in it. You can even drink the juice and it is not that bad tasting. The brix reading was 13, still could smell it.

[bussone]

Well one of my neighbor likes to use the FD juice to make some drinks (with alcohol) so I gave him all the juice from the fruits when I removed the seeds.

I noticed when juicing the Carrizo fruits I picked up, it doesn't have that strong resin in it. You can even drink the juice and it is not that bad tasting. The brix reading was 13, still could smell it.

As it turns out, alcohol breaks poncirus resin down substantially. (As does boiling)

Trifoliate orange makes a decent orange gin, although orange gin takes about five years to age. It's nowhere near as good as seville orange gin (little is), but if you like Earl Grey, it's fine. The result reminds me of bergamot, or perhaps Lemon Pledge.