Botanical Information | |
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Order | Caryophyllales |
Family | Cactaceae |
Genus | Hylocereus |
Common Name | Pitahaya, Dragon Fruit |
Species | H. undatus |
Planting months | |||||||||||
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Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
Permaculture uses | ||
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Usage 1 | Usage 2 | Usage 3 |
Food_Forest | Fruit |
Growing Condition | Comment |
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Drought Tolerant | No |
Humidity tolerant | No |
Planting area | Ground |
Sunlight | Full_sun |
Well drained soil, this is a tropical cactus, waterlogged roots will rot. Best grown by cutting to ensure correct cultivar.
Grow on a trelis, and allow to sprawl out at desired height, and this promotes flowering and fruiting. If left to grow up a tree, the cactus will not flower/fruit until it's in the upper storey of the tree.
It is widely distributed through the tropics in cultivation.
They climb by use of aerial roots and can reach a height 10 meters or more growing on rocks and trees. Dragonfruit stems are climbing, creeping, sprawling or clambering, and branch profusely.
The flowers are nocturnal and only open for one night.
The fruit is oblong to oval, red with large bracteoles, with white pulp and edible black seeds.