Rio Red Grapefruit Tree

If you can only grow one Citrus tree, Rio Red Grapefruit (Citrus x 'Rio Red') should be it! This huge, heat-loving ruby red Grapefruit variety with an amazing sweet taste that is almost addictive!

The juicy, sweet and tangy deep-red flesh is delicious! Eat it fresh for breakfast or as a dessert. Bake it in a tart. Toss it in a salad. Stir it in a sangria. Squeeze it for juice - you won't even need to add sugar. Rio Red is the gold standard in Pink Grapefruit!

Container-sized with little pruning and low maintenance, the Rio Red is perfect for smaller-sized yards or planters while the fruit grows full-sized gems!

The green fruit becomes pale yellow and the rind develops a pink blush when ripe in winter!

Originating in the Rio Grande Valley, this Citrus variety features beautiful dark-green, evergreen foliage and creates the perfect backdrop for the fragrant white blooms and winter's glowing orbs! Ornamental on their own, these are compact and vigorous trees for any home garden application!

How to Use Rio Red Grapefruit In The Landscape

The pretty trees are easy to care for and attractive in the landscape. These natural dwarfs fit into even the smallest garden. Growers in colder growing zones won't miss out either, simply bring your tree indoors gradually for the winter and set them back outside after any chance of frost in the summers!

Standout specimens or accent tree, these provide low privacy or shade around your landscape and garden beds with little work from you!

The bushy, evergreen growth makes for a dual-purpose hedge and screen with compact branching for privacy! The healthy fruit and fragrant blooms mean this tree has year-round appeal and interest!

#ProPlantTips For Care

Citrus fruit trees need full sun to have the most flowers and therefore the largest crop of fruit! Indoor growers may need grow lights to extend their sunlight hours.

Grapefruit also require very well-draining soil on the acidic side. Any medium with excellent drainage is best, preferring to dry out slightly between waterings. Citrus prefers low moisture environments.

Sitting in water will lead to root rot, so be sure your site doesn't pool after a heavy rain, and your containers and planters have excellent drainage holes.

Fertilize with an acid-loving plant fertilizer such as Dr. Earth Acid Lovers Organic and Natural Premium Concentrate Fertilizer 3-4 times a year.

Keep your investment protected from cold drafts and sudden temperature or environmental changes, as this will result in leaf drop and stress. However, Rio Red is cold-resistant while thriving in the heat.

Protecting Container Citrus From Cold

Although it's famous for growing in warmer regions, it can also thrive in colder areas as long as the tree is brought indoors prior to the first frost of winter.

If you're growing these tropical trees in the ground in the lowest of their favored growing zones, they need to be planted in a sheltered spot to avoid the worst of the chill. If a spot like that is unavailable, then you are better off planting in a large, deep container.

In borderline growing zones, begin slowly acclimating your tree indoors or into a protected location, eventually moving your tree inside in bright indirect sun for the winter if the temperatures in your area ever dip below that 40°F range. In spring, reverse this process and begin acclimating your tree to again be back out in the full sun all summer. This reduces stress and leaf drop.

The healthy three-year-old trees Nature Hills ships are garden-ready. Producing fruit between 3 to 5 years of age, you won't be waiting long for your first crop!

You will have so much fruit you'll have a kitchen full and still be sharing it with family and friends. Rio Red Grapefruit is the tree to work into your garden this year! Order your own sweet Red Grapefruit trees from Nature Hills before they're gone!