Pitaya (dragon fruit)

Botanical name: Hylocereus undatus

Crown and root system:  Pitahaya is a climbing cactus with a non-invasive root system.

Growing regions: All over the country, except for areas with extreme temperatures, hot or cold.  The cactus should be placed in a semi-shady area or in the northern part of the garden.

Ripening date:  Fall.

Planting in a container: May be planted in a container, preferably with a trellis.

Recommended planting season: All year round.

Special care: In order to produce fruit you must plant two types of pitaya (both of which can be purchased at the nursery), to promote pollination.  We recommend performing manual pollination (a very simple procedure that we can explain when the plants are purchased) to increase the number of fruit.

Varieties sold in our nursery:
Venus: Pitaya roja –Red on the inside and the outside.
Venus:  Pitaya amarilla –Yellow.
Super whitePitaya blanca – Red outside and white inside.

Good to know:
In Asia this pitaya fruit is known as “dragon’s eggs” because of its unique shape.  But despite its beauty, in the West it remains nothing more than a gimmick because of its bland flavor.  Several years ago Israeli scientists were able to develop pitaya varieties whose flavor equals their beauty.

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