Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus, Fruit
Flowering Plants
Origin
Caribbean, Central America
Southwestern United States, California
Types
Hylocereus undatus, Hylocereus costaricensis, Hylocereus megalanthus
-
Number of Varieties
340
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Rocky areas, Terrestrial
Dry areas, meadows
USDA Hardiness Zone
11-154-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
9-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
Habit
Spreading
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm61.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm25.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Gold
Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Toothed
Oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
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
Do Not over Water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when soil is dry
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, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
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
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Insects
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Semi-Double
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
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
As decorated salad, Beautification
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antidiabetic, Appetite enhancer, increase memory, Weight loss
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Whole plant
Other Uses
-
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall, Tropical
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
HYLOCEREUS undatus
PENSTEMON eatonii
Common Name
Pitahaya, Dragon fruit, Night blooming Cereus, Strawberry Pear, Belle of the Night, Cinderella Plant, Jesus in the Cradle
Firecracker Penstemon
In Hindi
Red Pitaya
Firecracker penstemon
In German
Drachenfrucht, Distelbirne
Kracher penstemon
In French
pitaya, fruit du dragon, cierge-lézard, poire de chardon
Firecracker penstemon
In Spanish
pitahaya roja (Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela); flor de caliz, pitajava (Puerto Rico); junco, junco tapatio, pitahaya orejona, reina de la noche, tasajo (Mexico)
Penstemon del petardo
In Greek
Φρούτο του δράκου (fruto tu draku)
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
In Portuguese
pitaia, cato-barse, cardo-ananaz, rainha da noite
Penstemon do foguete
In Polish
Red Pitaya
petarda penstemon
In Latin
Red Pitaya
Firecracker Persicaria
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Caryophyllales
Lamiales
Family
Cactaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Genus
Hylocereus
Penstemon
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Cacteae
-
Subfamily
Cactoideae
-
Number of Species
20250
1
27800
👆🏻