Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Cactus, Fruit
Ornamental Plants, Shrubs
Origin
Caribbean, Central America
Eastern Europe, Western Asia
Types
Hylocereus undatus, Hylocereus costaricensis, Hylocereus megalanthus
Kochia Indica, Neokochia californica
Number of Varieties
3140
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Rocky areas, Terrestrial
gardens, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
11-153-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12 - 1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 21, 22, 23, 24
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
Habit
Spreading
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm120.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Gold
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
-
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Gray Green, Burgundy, Crimson
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Toothed
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, reseeds, Stem Cutting
Stem Cutting, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Keep the Soil well drained
occasional watering once established, Requires consistently moist soil
In Summer
Lots of watering
Moderate
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Less Watering
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Well drained
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Loamy, Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Bright direct sunlight
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Mosquito
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Heat Tolerance, Humidity
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Semi-Double
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Fine
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Butterflies, Leaf Hoppers
Allergy
-
Eye irritation, Respiratory problems
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
As decorated salad, Beautification
Beautification, Landscape Designing
Beauty Benefits
-
For treating wrinkles, Making cosmetics, Removes dandruff, Skin cleanser
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Provides ground cover
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antidiabetic, Appetite enhancer, increase memory, Weight loss
Diabetes, Hypotensive, Obesity
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Leaves
Other Uses
-
Cattle Fodder, Sauces, Traditional medicine, Used for fragrance, Wood log is used in making fences
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall, Tropical
Groundcover
Botanical Name
HYLOCEREUS undatus
BASSIA scoparia
Common Name
Pitahaya, Dragon fruit, Night blooming Cereus, Strawberry Pear, Belle of the Night, Cinderella Plant, Jesus in the Cradle
Burningbush, Kochia
In Hindi
Red Pitaya
Bassia scoparia
In German
Drachenfrucht, Distelbirne
Besen-Radmelde
In French
pitaya, fruit du dragon, cierge-lézard, poire de chardon
Bassia scoparia
In Spanish
pitahaya roja (Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela); flor de caliz, pitajava (Puerto Rico); junco, junco tapatio, pitahaya orejona, reina de la noche, tasajo (Mexico)
Kochia scoparia
In Greek
Φρούτο του δράκου (fruto tu draku)
Bassia scoparia
In Portuguese
pitaia, cato-barse, cardo-ananaz, rainha da noite
Bassia scoparia
In Polish
Red Pitaya
Mietelnik żakula
In Latin
Red Pitaya
Bassia scoparia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Angiosperms
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cactaceae
Chenopodiaceae
Genus
Hylocereus
Bassia
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
Cacteae
-
Subfamily
Cactoideae
Camphorosmoideae
Number of Species
204
1
27800
👆🏻