Kathie Van Arum Dragon Fruit is a hybrid variety from Selenicereus Stenopterus and Selenicereus Undatus. It is one of three hybrid clones created by German hybridizer Eckhard Meier, and the other two siblings are Bruni and Connie Mayer.
The growth is very tender and three-sided, which is typical of Selenicereus. The tenderness comes from the mother plant, Selenicereus Stenopterus. Two or three tiny spines occur along the rib, which differs from its sister clones, Bruni and Connie Mayer.
Flowers
The flower Kathie Van Arum is a medium-sized bloom with inner petals being pink shading to purple with white edges and tips. Before flowering, the flower bud is equally impressive. The flower opens at dusk and closes at sunrise, and when compared to other varieties, this is much earlier. One downside to Kathie Van Arum is it is self-sterile but will set fruit with pollen from different varieties that do not contain the Stenopterus gene.
Fruit
Fruits are small, egg-shaped, plentiful, often weighing .25 to three-quarters of a pound. The fruit’s flesh is pink, with the skin bringing pale dark red, almost maroon colored, with green fins.takes 45 days compared to 30 days for other Selenicereus species. The average brix rating for this fruit is 20 plus brix.
