Dragon fruit, perhaps the most beautiful fruit in the world!

Dragon fruit, also known as pitaya or pitahaya, is an exotic and nutritious fruit that comes from the cactus family. It is a succulent epiphyte (grows on other plants) and is mainly grown in dry tropical parts of the world. In Sweden, dragon fruit can be grown indoors as an exotic and entertaining cactus plant in a pot.

Care:

The dragon fruit plant needs a lot of light and thrives best in full sunlight. The cactus thrives at normal room temperature and can also be placed outdoors during the summer. Let the soil dry out between waterings. Dragon fruit is drought tolerant but prefers regular watering during the growing season.

Botanical description

Scientific Name.

Selenicereus undatus, formerly called Hylocereus undatus

Origin.

Dragon fruit is native to Mexico and Honduras, where it has been cultivated by indigenous peoples for thousands of years. It was introduced to other parts of the world by explorers and colonizers and is now grown commercially in countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Israel, and Australia.

Appearance.

Height.

This cactus can grow up to 6 meters if it is given support to climb on. In cultivations, the trunk is supported up to a meter and the remaining trunks are allowed to crawl along crevices sideways or hang down.

Fruit.

The dragon fruit exotic fruit is oval or round with a spiky skin that varies in color from red, pink to yellow. The flesh of this variety is white and is filled with small, black edible seeds. Other popular varieties of dragon fruit vary in the color of the skin but also the flesh which can turn red. However, this color quickly becomes bad in transport which is why the white color is the most popular to grow.

Flowering.

Dragon fruit only blooms at night and the flowers wither the next morning. They smell amazing and are often white or yellowish.

Why is it called dragon fruit?

The name "dragon fruit" comes from the fruit's skin, which resembles dragon scales. The name Pitahaya originates from the ancient Inca civilization, where it means cactus pear. This name is a testament to the importance and relevance of this fruit in Inca culture

Are you also looking for a beautiful, rare and easy-care plant that will bear fruit after a few years of love? Buy a dragon fruit cactus online!