- Avocado
- Banana
- Breadfruit
- Coconut
- Coffee
- Custardapple
- Dragonfruit
- Durian
- Guava
- Jackfruit
- Jujube
- Langsat
- Longan
- Longkong
- Lychee
- Mafai
- Mango
- Mangosteen
- Maprang
- Papaya
- Passionfruit
- Pineapple
- Pomegranate
- Pomelo
- Pumpkin
- Rambutan
- Roseapple
- Soursop
- Starapple
- Starfruit
- Sugarapple
- Tamarind
- Tangerine
- Watermelon
Dragon fruit (or pitaya) is the fruit of a cactus which blooms at night. This page provides some basic information about the dragon fruit and some dragonfruit photos.
| Scientific name: | Hylocereus sp. |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Common names: | Dragon fruit, Pitaya, Pitahaya, Strawberry pear |
| Origin: | Mexico, Central and South America |
| Distribution: | Mexico, Central and South America, South-East Asia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Southern China, Israel |
| Evergreen or deciduous: | Evergreen |
| Flowers: | The plant flowers only at night. The large white flowers are called "moonflower" or "queen of the night". |
| Leaves: | It's a vine-like plants in the cactus family. The cactus-like tree has no leaves. |
| Fruits: | The typical bright pink or red colored fruits weigh from 200 to 700 grams. They are 7-10 cm wide and 10-15 cm long. The flesh inside is white and contains many small black seeds. It has a mildly sweet taste. The fruit is supposed to have the color and shape of a dragon's eye. Towards the end of the fruit are several soft scales with a greenish color. |
| Climate and weather: | Dry tropical climates. Requires moderate amounts of rain. |
| Pollination: | Self pollination. But pollination improves if bees or ants are present and by hand pollination. |
| Height: | The plant is often grown along cement poles of about 2 meter height with wooden crosspieces to support the vines. |
| Type of soil: | Grows in any soil but likes rich organic matter plus sand. Prefers well-drained soils. |
| Light: | Like bright sunshine. |
| Spacing (close range) | 3 meter? |
| Spacing (wide range) | |
| Propagation: | Propagated by seed or by cutting. |
| Insect pests: | Few pests: aphids, mealybugs |
| Diseases: | Stem rot (Xanthomonas campestris), Collar rot (Phytopthora sp.), Root rots (Fusarium sp., Alternara sp.) |
| Fruit development: | Fruits are produce throughout the year. |
| Harvesting: | Hand pick the mature fruits. |
| Uses: | Fruits are peeled and the white flesh is eaten fresh. Fruits can also be used to prepare juice or wine. |
