Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Cactus, Fruit
Origin
Southern Asia, India, Melanesia, Australia
Caribbean, Central America
Types
Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis
Hylocereus undatus, Hylocereus costaricensis, Hylocereus megalanthus
Number of Varieties
13
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Well Drained
Rocky areas, Terrestrial
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1111-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-9
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
370.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
300.00 cm240.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Purple
White, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Toothed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Winter, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Budding, Cuttings
Cuttings, reseeds, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep the Soil well drained, 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
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune in spring, Remove branches, Remove branches that rub together, Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, fertilize in spring, fertilize in summer, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
-
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
As decorated salad, Beautification
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Respiratory Disorders, Soothing and relieving pain
Antidiabetic, Appetite enhancer, increase memory, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits
Fruits
Other Uses
Making Perfumes, Traditional medicine, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Shade Trees, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
CITRUS medica var. sarcodactylis
HYLOCEREUS undatus
Common Name
Buddha's Hand, Fingered Citron
Pitahaya, Dragon fruit, Night blooming Cereus, Strawberry Pear, Belle of the Night, Cinderella Plant, Jesus in the Cradle
In Hindi
Buddha's Hand
Tree
Red Pitaya
In German
Buddhas Hand
Baum
Drachenfrucht, Distelbirne
In French
Main de Bouddha
Arbre
pitaya, fruit du dragon, cierge-lézard, poire de chardon
In Spanish
Mano de Buda
Árbol
pitahaya roja (Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela); flor de caliz, pitajava (Puerto Rico); junco, junco tapatio, pitahaya orejona, reina de la noche, tasajo (Mexico)
In Greek
Χέρι του Βούδα
Δέντρο
Φρούτο του δράκου (fruto tu draku)
In Portuguese
Mão de Buda
Árvore
pitaia, cato-barse, cardo-ananaz, rainha da noite
In Polish
Ręka Buddy
Drzewo
Red Pitaya
In Latin
Buddha manus
Arbor
Red Pitaya
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Caryophyllales
Family
Rutaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Citrus
Hylocereus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Cacteae
Subfamily
-
Cactoideae
Number of Species
120
1
27800
👆🏻