Natural Mystic

Natural Mystic is a Hylocereus polyrhizus by H. undatus hybrid that entered Florida as an import from Thailand and is now grown commercially around Homestead. Its significance is disproportionate to its sugar content: it is one of very few red-fleshed cultivars that is genuinely self-fertile, which makes it both a standalone cropper and a valuable pollen donor for the self-sterile purple hybrids that dominate the hobby trade. Fruit is around 1 lb on average, with an exceptional 2 lb specimen recorded by Spicy Exotics in 2016 that tested at 19 Brix against a typical average of 15. Growers report the flavour improves markedly on the autumn crop, when fruit sizes up and sweetens. Pine Island Nursery carries it as part of its dragon fruit line.