Dragon Fruit

Dragon fruit is grown for its distinctive fruit, sold fresh and used in juices and desserts, with strong demand in specialty and export markets. Plants are trained on sturdy posts or trellises, and, because the flowers open at night, pollination is carried out by nocturnal pollinators or by hand in some cultivars to ensure fruit set.

Its CAM physiology and drought tolerance make it suited to warm, seasonally dry environments, and once established a planting can remain productive for many years.

Family

Cactaceae (cactus family)

Principal species

Selenicereus undatus (formerly Hylocereus undatus) and related species

Growth habit

Climbing, epiphytic cactus with fleshy, three-angled stems, aerial roots, and large night-blooming flowers

Photosynthesis

Uses crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), aiding water-use efficiency

Dragon fruit is native to the Americas, particularly Central America and Mexico, and has become a major cultivated fruit in Southeast Asia, notably Vietnam, as well as in other tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.

Statistics on planted area and production are compiled by FAO and national agencies and should be consulted directly for current figures.

Dragon fruit grows best in warm tropical and subtropical climates and is sensitive to frost. As a drought-tolerant cactus it withstands dry periods well, but very high temperatures and intense sun can scorch the stems, and some shade is beneficial in the hottest conditions.

Flowering is influenced by day length in some types, and supplemental night lighting is used in intensive systems in parts of Asia to extend the flowering season.

Dragon fruit requires light, well-drained soils and is intolerant of waterlogging, which readily causes stem and root rots. It tolerates a range of soil types, including sandy and stony soils, provided drainage is excellent and organic matter is adequate.

Dragon fruit is propagated easily from stem cuttings, which establish quickly and come into bearing within a couple of years. Plants are trained up sturdy posts or trellises with a supporting frame at the top, over which the stems cascade and fruit.

• Propagation from stem cuttings of selected types
• Sturdy post or trellis support with a frame to carry the cascading stems
• Pruning to manage the mass of stems and encourage productive growth
• Pollination management, including hand or night-time pollination for some cultivars

Dragon fruit responds to balanced nutrition and organic matter, which support stem growth and fruiting on the productive frame. As a CAM plant with shallow, spreading roots, it benefits from well-aerated soils and adequate but not excessive water and nutrients.

Dragon fruit tolerates drought but produces best with regular, moderate moisture during growth and fruiting, commonly supplied by drip irrigation in commercial plantings. Overwatering and poor drainage are more damaging than short dry spells.

Stem and fruit spots, anthracnose, and stem rots are among the diseases affecting dragon fruit, especially under wet or humid conditions, and root and basal rots occur on poorly drained soils. Good drainage and sanitation are central to disease management.

Mealybugs and scale insects colonize stems and fruit, ants tend these sap feeders, and fruit flies and birds damage ripening fruit. Management combines sanitation, monitoring, and, where warranted, locally authorized controls applied according to their labels.

Dragon fruit is harvested by cutting the fruit from the stem once it has developed full skin color, a few days to a week or so after the color change begins. Because the fruit does not sweeten much after picking, harvest timing is important for eating quality.

• Fresh fruit eaten out of hand and in fruit salads
• Juice, smoothies, and desserts, with red-fleshed types also valued for their color
• Processed products including preserves and dried fruit
• Ornamental value of the plants and their large night-blooming flowers