The Rio Red is a newer variety of grapefruit that’s quickly becoming a popular choice due to its beautiful pink flesh and flavour that’s distinctly sweeter than other grapefruits while still having that familiar tang. It’s considered medium to large tree when fully grown which can be anywhere between 3 – 5m tall. It has a very nice, dense and bushy growth habit with lovely big leaves. The skin is yellow, but can take on a slight pink blush, depending on conditions. Much like blood oranges, the skin’s colour pigmentation is helped along by cooler weather. Despite the lack of truly cooler temperatures, though, the Rio Red grapefruit can still colour well in the Sydney region. While it’s a nice fruit to eat, it also produces a good volume of juice when ripe and adds a nice bit of colour to beverages. Fruit begins to ripen from July into August, although the longer it stays on the tree, the sweeter it’ll get.
