Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Cactus, Fruit
Origin
-
Caribbean, Central America
Types
Ocimum americanum
Hylocereus undatus, Hylocereus costaricensis, Hylocereus megalanthus
Number of Varieties
203
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
-
Rocky areas, Terrestrial
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1111-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-9
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, 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
Clump-Forming
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm240.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
White, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray 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
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Cuttings, reseeds, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Allow soil to be completely dry in between waterings, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
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, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Downy mildew, Dry root rot, Fusarium wilt, Gray mold, Japanese Beetles
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
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
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Beetles, Leaf Hoppers, Nematodes
-
Allergy
Hives, Itchiness, Rash, Swelling
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
As decorated salad, Beautification
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Low calories, Manganese, Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin K
Antidiabetic, Appetite enhancer, increase memory, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Added to salads, Powdered and mixed with tea, Used in tea, wine and sweet dishes, Used to flavour soups
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
OCIMUM x citriodorum
HYLOCEREUS undatus
Common Name
Lemon Basil
Pitahaya, Dragon fruit, Night blooming Cereus, Strawberry Pear, Belle of the Night, Cinderella Plant, Jesus in the Cradle
In Hindi
नींबू तुलसी
Red Pitaya
In German
Limonenbasilikum
Drachenfrucht, Distelbirne
In French
citron basilic
pitaya, fruit du dragon, cierge-lézard, poire de chardon
In Spanish
Ocimum × citriodorum
pitahaya roja (Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela); flor de caliz, pitajava (Puerto Rico); junco, junco tapatio, pitahaya orejona, reina de la noche, tasajo (Mexico)
In Greek
λεμόνι βασιλικός
Φρούτο του δράκου (fruto tu draku)
In Portuguese
manjericão limão
pitaia, cato-barse, cardo-ananaz, rainha da noite
In Polish
Bazylia cytrynowa
Red Pitaya
In Latin
lemon Basilius
Red Pitaya
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Caryophyllales
Family
Lamiaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Ocimum
Hylocereus
Clade
Asterids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Cacteae
Subfamily
-
Cactoideae
Number of Species
16920
1
27800
👆🏻