Binomial name: Citrus x paradisi ‘Red Blush’

This variety is known for its juicy, sweet, fragrant red flesh across the culinary world, being a delicious breakfast food rich in anti-oxidants. It has medicinal qualities, as well as being an ornamental tree which thrives in subtropical gardens. ‘Red blush’ is well-suited for gift fruit, fresh market and processing. Being seedless, off high quality and having excellent coloration has placed the ‘Red blush’ cultivar in great demand.

Fruit similar to Thompson in all respects except for much deeper pigmentation in the flesh (but not in the juice), crimson blush on the rind, especially at points of contact between fruit; albedo pigmented.  Holds on tree as well as Marsh or Thompson but with some fading of flesh color.  Similar to Thompson in season of maturity.

Tree indistinguishable from Thompson or Marsh.

While the name Ruby has a slight time priority, Redblush seems preferable to avoid confusion with the much older Ruby orange variety.  Moreover, Redblush is more descriptive of this variety and is the name most used in the region of its origin.

Ruby (Henninger Ruby Red) originated as a limb sport of Thompson that was found in 1929 by A. E. Henninger of McAllen, Texas, and patented by him in 1934.  So far as is known this was the first citrus variety to receive a patent (U.S. Plant Patent No. 53).

Redblush (Webb Redblush) is said to have originated as a limb sport, also of Thompson, that was observed in 1931 by J. B. Webb of Donna, Texas, propagated soon thereafter, and introduced in 1934.

Ruby and Redblush are so similar as to be indistinguishable and for all practical purposes they may be considered to be identical.  A number of similar bud mutations are known to have occurred subsequent to the two now generally propagated as Redblush or Ruby.

Because of the attractive appearance provided by the pigmentation of the rind and its deeper flesh coloration, Redblush (Ruby) rapidly superseded Thompson and some years ago became by far the leading pigmented variety and one of the major grapefruit varieties.