Flame
What's special about Flame
Deep-red Texas selection; sweeter and more colored than Ruby Red.
Growing this variety
Flame follows the same growing basics as Grapefruit. Variety-specific maturity above; everything else below applies to the whole Grapefruit family.
Germination
Spacing & depth
How to plant
Best grown from a grafted nursery tree for true-to-type fruit and faster harvest. From seed: use fresh seed, plant 1/2 in deep in a well-drained mix, keep 75–85°F and moist. Transplant to a sunny, well-drained site sheltered from cold winds, or grow in a large container (15+ gal) that can be moved indoors below 30°F.
Grower's tip
Large tart-sweet citrus; red/pink cultivars are milder and sweeter than white. Needs long hot summers to develop full sweetness.
Woody plant facts
Soil preferences
Deep, rich, well-drained soil with high organic matter.
6.0–6.8 for most; strawberries and blueberries prefer 4.5–6.0.
Compost annually; mulch with wood chips for perennial fruits.
Watering
1–2 in per week; deeper as plants establish.
Soak the root zone, not the foliage. Drip irrigation is ideal for long-lived plantings.
Overwatered: fruit split, root rot, mushy fallen fruit. Underwatered: shriveled berries, dropped flowers, sunscald.
Prefers top-watering — Top-water at the root zone only — never on the canopy. Powdery mildew, downy mildew, and black rot all spread on wet foliage.
Temperature tolerance
70–85°F (21–29°C)
55–70°F (13–21°C)
Tropical fruits (passionfruit, pepino, naranjilla) frost-tender. Temperate fruits (pomegranate, fig, sea buckthorn) tolerate hard freezes once established.
Container growing
Possible with the right cultivar
10+ gal (38 L) for tree fruit; 3–5 gal for berry canes; 12 in deep for strawberries
Choose dwarf or patio cultivars for containers; overwinter tender types indoors.
Detailed harvesting
Pick fully ripe — fruit sweetens on the plant, not the counter. Test with a gentle tug; ripe fruit releases easily.
Post-harvest storage & preservation
Refrigerate soft fruit unwashed 3–7 days. Freeze on trays, then bag. Dehydrate slices at 135°F. Jam or preserve surplus.
Culinary, medicinal & other uses
Fresh eating, jam, wine, syrup, drying. Use imperfect fruit for cooking; keep the best for the table.
Medicinal or traditional uses are shared for interest only — this is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before using any plant medicinally.
Seed saving
Most perennial fruit are insect-pollinated and often not true-to-type from seed.
Named cultivars must be propagated by cutting, division, or graft to stay true.
Rinse seeds from ripe pulp; dry 1–2 weeks. Many need cold stratification before sowing.
Your zone's planting calendar
Pick your USDA hardiness zone and we'll estimate the key dates for grapefruit in your area. These are regional averages — always check your own last-frost forecast before sowing.
My Flame Grapefruit notes
Flame Grapefruit seeds on hand
Track packets and loose seeds you already have. Private to your account.
Par level — leave at 0 for no alert. Anything below par shows on Seed Starting and your shopping list.
From your kitchen — grow grapefruit from what you already have
For fleshy fruits (tomato-family, melons, ground cherries), ferment the seed out. For dry-seeded fruits (roselle, hibiscus family), just let capsules dry on the plant.
- 1Fleshy fruit: scoop seeds and pulp into a jar of water; ferment 2–4 days until it molds; rinse, dry.
- 2Dry-seeded fruit: let capsules turn brown on the plant, then split and tap seeds out.
- 3Perennial fruits (fig, pomegranate, sea buckthorn): far easier from cuttings, division, or suckers than seed.
- 4Store all seed cool, dark, and dry in labeled envelopes.
Storage: 3–6 years dry.
Order more seeds
Running low? Reorder from one of these seed stores.
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Other Grapefruit varieties
Ruby Red
The original pink-fleshed Texas grapefruit; sweet-tart, seedless, winter ripening.
Star Ruby
Deepest-red flesh of the common grapefruits; small tree, seedless.
Marsh
The classic white seedless grapefruit — tart, aromatic, long-storing.
Duncan
Historic Florida seedy white grapefruit — considered the best-flavored, still grown for juice.
Foster
Pink-fleshed seedy grapefruit; heirloom variety.
Ray Ruby
Improved red grapefruit; deep flesh color, holds late on the tree.
Hudson
Pink seedy Texas grapefruit; rich flavor.
Burgundy
Late-ripening deep-red grapefruit; low seed count.
Triumph
Historic Florida grapefruit-pummelo hybrid; sweeter than standard grapefruit.
Reed
White-fleshed heirloom grapefruit; small tree.