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Last edited by shiny on November 10, 2026. View history

dragon fruit Dragon Fruit

Hylocereus spp.
Also known as Sweet Pitaya (en) Dragonfruit (en) Pitahaya (en)

Sun requirement for dragon fruit: Plant in Full Sun

Hylocereus undatus is a vine-like cactus that is often grown as a night-flowering ornamental plant and as a fruit crop. The fruit is highly decorative, with a bright red skin, studded with green scales. The flesh is white, juicy and delicious in flavour, with tiny black seeds. Its exact native range is uncertain but is considered to be in Central America. Since the late twentieth century it has been widely planted on a commercial scale as a fruit crop in many tropical regions, particularly in Vietnam and other South-East Asian countries, and has escaped widely from cultivation, become naturalized and in many instances become an invasive weed, sometimes threatening native plants and habitats. Currently it is listed as invasive in China, Australia, South Africa, Cuba, and on many islands in the Pacific Ocean (Oviedo Prieto et al., 2012; PIER, 2016; Queensland Government, 2016).

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Dragon fruit facts

Lifespan

Perennial living more than two years

Height × spread

182cm × 1cm

Row Spacing

250cm
Optimal temperature 18–28 °C
Absolute temperature 12–34 °C
FAO EcoCrop
Optimal rainfall 350–3500 mm/year
Absolute rainfall 450–3000 mm/year
FAO EcoCrop
Optimal soil pH 5.3–6.7
Absolute soil pH 5–7.5
FAO EcoCrop

Crop cycle

0–0 days
FAO EcoCrop

Max altitude

25 m
FAO EcoCrop

Optimal light

clear skies to very bright
FAO EcoCrop

How members grow dragon fruits

Sunniness

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Dragon fruit
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Ecological requirements

Data from the FAO EcoCrop database for Hylocereus undatus Britton & Rose (1918)

Family / Taxonomy Magnoliopsida
Caryophyllidae
Caryophyllales
Cactaceae
Life form other
Life span perennial
Habit climber/scrambler/scadent
Optimal soil depth deep (>>150 cm)
Optimal soil texture wide
Optimal soil fertility moderate
Optimal soil drainage well (dry spells)
Optimal soil salinity low (<4 dS/m)
Photoperiod short day (<12 hours), neutral day (12-14 hours)

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