Tag: Ugli fruit

The grapefruit itself is a hybrid of a sweet orange and a pomelo, but a direct cross of a grapefruit and an orange is often called an orangelo. This can be a source of confusion, as many other delicious citrus varieties also stem from similar cross-pollination events, including the well-known tangelo and the unusual ugli fruit. Understanding the unique heritage of these fruits reveals the fascinating history of citrus breeding.

The grapefruit is actually a natural hybrid of the pomelo and sweet orange. If you're wondering what is a fruit similar to grapefruit, its sweet and less-bitter ancestor, the pomelo, is the most direct answer, alongside other delightful citrus options.

Grapefruit is a relatively young fruit in the citrus family, having originated in Barbados sometime in the 18th century as a natural, accidental hybrid of a pomelo and a sweet orange. Understanding its family tree reveals a complex and intriguing web of ancestral species and hybrid offspring that are all related to the grapefruit.