Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Vegetable
Origin
North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central America, South America
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Dragon Fruit Cactus
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Number of Varieties
1510
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
tropical environments, Tropical regions
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-7
Sunset Zone
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
-
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
200.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red, Salmon
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lanceolate
Round
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
-
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
-
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought, Heat And Humidity, Salt, Shade areas, Wet Site
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Semi-hardwood cuttings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Water slowly, and allow to dry completely between soakings
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Less Watering
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Dispose of diseased portions, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
15-30-15 liquid fertilizer, Fertilzer with low nitrogen content
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Bacterial Stem Rot, Birds, Brown Rot
Insects, Mites
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought, Heat And Humidity, Salt, Shade areas, Wet Site
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
-
-
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
pollinators
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Anti-ageing, Good for skin, Making cosmetics
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, Antitumor, Diabetes, Healing, Nutritive, Skin wounds
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits, Seeds
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Food for animals, Used as a nutritious food item, Used for its medicinal properties
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
Hylocereus undatus
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Pitahaya, Dragon Fruit
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
hylocereus
भारतीय पालक
In German
hylocereus
Indian Spinat
In French
hylocereus
épinards indienne
In Spanish
hylocereus
espinaca india
In Greek
hylocereus
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
hylocereus
espinafre indiano
In Polish
Hylocereus
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
Hylocereus
Spinach Indian
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cactaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Hylocereus
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Hylocereeae
-
Subfamily
Cactoideae
-
Number of Species
125
1
27800
👆🏻