The Surprising History of Texas’ Official State Fruit

One of the great things about eating healthy is the selection of fruit in Texas. We have many fruits that are grown here in the Lone Star State. There's something about biting into a juicy piece of fruit. One fruit in particular is native to Texas.

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There is one fruit in particular that is native to Texas and rose from the soil in Texas.  This fruit can be very polarizing and is a part of the citrus family.  It's big and juicy, and people either love it or hate it, and there doesn't seem to be an in-between.

It's the Ruby Red Grapefruit

There are several varieties of grapefruit, but the original grapefruits were of the pink and white flesh variety. They were first planted in the US in Florida and brought in by Spanish and French settlers. In 1893, the first grapefruit crop was planted in South Texas, and the seeds were brought into the Lone Star State by Spanish missionaries.  The seeds were from the white variety, and eventually, the pink variety was also planted in Texas.

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How did the Ruby Red Grapefruit come to be?

In 1929, a darker, redder grapefruit was discovered growing on a pink variety tree in a smaller orchard. This variety was named Ruby Red because the flesh was red and the fruit was sweeter than the pink and white variety.

The Official State Fruit of Texas

On May 17, 1993, the Texas State Legislature named the Texas Red Grapefruit the state fruit of Texas.

Everything is bigger in Texas, so of course, the big flavor of the Ruby Red had to have sprouted from this state's soil. In honor of the grapefruit, it's time to peel, or half a Ruby Red, and enjoy this sweet, juicy fruit of Texas, or you could just grab some Ruby Red grapefruit juice.