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About Red Pitaya and Mouse Melon


About Mouse Melon and Red Pitaya


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Annual  

Type
Cactus, Fruit  
Vegetable  

Origin
Caribbean, Central America  
Central America, Mexico  

Types
Hylocereus undatus, Hylocereus costaricensis, Hylocereus megalanthus  
Slicing, Pickling and burpless  

Number of Varieties
3  
99+
3  
99+

Habitat
Rocky areas, Terrestrial  
Floodplains, Wet forest  

USDA Hardiness Zone
11-15  
7-8  

AHS Heat Zone
12-9  
12-1  

Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 21, 22, 23, 24  
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  

Habit
Spreading  
Vining/Climbing  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
180.00 cm  
99+
15.20 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
240.00 cm  
99+
180.00 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
White, Gold  
Yellow, Gold  

Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
Red  
Green  

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
Toothed  
Heart-shaped  

Thorns
Yes  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Summer, Fall  
Summer, Fall  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Growth Rate
Fast  
Very Fast  

Type of Soil
Loam, Sand  
Loam  

The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  
Neutral  

Soil Drainage
Well drained  
Well drained  

Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer  
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate  

Repeat Bloomer
Yes  
Yes  

Tolerances
Drought  
Drought  

Care

Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot  
Container, Ground  

How to Plant?
Cuttings, reseeds, Stem Cutting  
Seedlings, Stem Planting  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Keep the Soil well drained  
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season  

In Summer
Lots of watering  
Lots of watering  

In Spring
Moderate  
Moderate  

In Winter
Average Water  
Average Water  

Soil
  
  

Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  
Neutral  

Soil Type
Loam, Sand  
Loam  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained  
Well drained  

Sun Exposure
Full Sun  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves  
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots  

Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer  
Compost, organic fertlizers  

Pests and Diseases
Red blotch  
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles  

Plant Tolerance
Drought  
Cold climate  

Facts

Flowers
Showy  
Showy  

Flower Petal Number
Semi-Double  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
Yes  
Yes  

Edible Fruit
Yes  
Yes  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
Yes  
Yes  

Fragrant Fruit
Yes  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
No  
No  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Bold  
Coarse  

Foliage Sheen
-  
Matte  

Evergreen
No  
No  

Invasive
No  
No  

Self-Sowing
No  
Yes  

Attracts
-  
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels  

Allergy
-  
Throat itching, Vomiting  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
As decorated salad, Beautification  
Showy Purposes  

Beauty Benefits
-  
-  

Edible Uses
Yes  
Yes  

Environmental Uses
Air purification  
Food for animals, Food for birds  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
Antidiabetic, Appetite enhancer, increase memory, Weight loss  
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron  

Part of Plant Used
Fruits  
Fruits, Seeds  

Other Uses
-  
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties  

Used As Indoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall, Tropical  
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
HYLOCEREUS undatus  
MELOTHRIA scabra  

Common Name
Pitahaya, Dragon fruit, Night blooming Cereus, Strawberry Pear, Belle of the Night, Cinderella Plant, Jesus in the Cradle  
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon  

In Hindi
Red Pitaya  
Mousemelon  

In German
Drachenfrucht, Distelbirne  
Maus Melone  

In French
pitaya, fruit du dragon, cierge-lézard, poire de chardon  
Mousemelon  

In Spanish
pitahaya roja (Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela); flor de caliz, pitajava (Puerto Rico); junco, junco tapatio, pitahaya orejona, reina de la noche, tasajo (Mexico)  
Mousemelon  

In Greek
Φρούτο του δράκου (fruto tu draku)  
πεπόνι ποντίκι  

In Portuguese
pitaia, cato-barse, cardo-ananaz, rainha da noite  
melão rato  

In Polish
Red Pitaya  
mysz melona  

In Latin
Red Pitaya  
mouse melon  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Magnoliophyta  
Tracheophyta  

Class
Magnoliopsida  
Magnoliopsida  

Order
Caryophyllales  
Cucurbitales  

Family
Cactaceae  
Cucurbitaceae  

Genus
Hylocereus  
Cucumis  

Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots  
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids  

Tribe
Cacteae  
Melothrieae  

Subfamily
Cactoideae  
Cucurbitoideae  

Number of Species
20  
50  

Summary >>
<< Classification

Properties of Red Pitaya and Mouse Melon

Wondering what are the properties of Red Pitaya and Mouse Melon? We provide you with everything About Red Pitaya and Mouse Melon. Red Pitaya has thorns and Mouse Melon doesn't have thorns. Also Red Pitaya does not have fragrant flowers. Red Pitaya has allergic reactions like and Mouse Melon has allergic reactions like . Compare all the properties and characteristics of these two plants. Find out which of these plant can be used as indoor plant. If you are interested to decorate your house and garden, find out aesthetic uses, compare them and select the plant which will beautify your surrounding. Along with beautification, try comparing medicinal and edible uses of Red Pitaya and Mouse Melon and you can choose the plant having best and most benefits.

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Season and Care of Red Pitaya and Mouse Melon

Season and care of Red Pitaya and Mouse Melon is important to know. While considering everything about Red Pitaya and Mouse Melon Care, growing season is an essential factor. Red Pitaya season is Summer and Fall and Mouse Melon season is Summer and Fall. The type of soil for Red Pitaya is Loam, Sand and for Mouse Melon is Loam while the PH of soil for Red Pitaya is Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline and for Mouse Melon is Neutral.

Red Pitaya and Mouse Melon Physical Information

Red Pitaya and Mouse Melon physical information is very important for comparison. Red Pitaya height is 180.00 cm and width 240.00 cm whereas Mouse Melon height is 15.20 cm and width 180.00 cm. The color specification of Red Pitaya and Mouse Melon are as follows:

Care of Red Pitaya and Mouse Melon

Care of Red Pitaya and Mouse Melon include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Red Pitaya pruning is done Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches and Remove dead leaves and Mouse Melon pruning is done Prune after flowering and Remove shoots. In summer Red Pitaya needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Mouse Melon needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water.

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