Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus, Fruit
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Caribbean, Central America
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Hylocereus undatus, Hylocereus costaricensis, Hylocereus megalanthus
Number of Varieties
33
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Rocky areas, Terrestrial
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-811-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-9
Sunset Zone
A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm240.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Toothed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Cuttings, reseeds, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
Average Water Needs, Keep the Soil well drained
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Semi-Double
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
-
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
As decorated salad, Beautification
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Antidiabetic, Appetite enhancer, increase memory, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Fruits
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
HYLOCEREUS undatus
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Pitahaya, Dragon fruit, Night blooming Cereus, Strawberry Pear, Belle of the Night, Cinderella Plant, Jesus in the Cradle
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Red Pitaya
In German
Maus Melone
Drachenfrucht, Distelbirne
In French
Mousemelon
pitaya, fruit du dragon, cierge-lézard, poire de chardon
In Spanish
Mousemelon
pitahaya roja (Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela); flor de caliz, pitajava (Puerto Rico); junco, junco tapatio, pitahaya orejona, reina de la noche, tasajo (Mexico)
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Φρούτο του δράκου (fruto tu draku)
In Portuguese
melão rato
pitaia, cato-barse, cardo-ananaz, rainha da noite
In Polish
mysz melona
Red Pitaya
In Latin
mouse melon
Red Pitaya
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Hylocereus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Melothrieae
Cacteae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Cactoideae
Number of Species
5020
1
27800
👆🏻