1. Good Organic Gardening - January-February 2016

CLEVER CROP | Dragon fruit
Pretty in pink
If the mouse melon gets our award for
cuteness, dragon fruit earns accolades for
its brilliant colour
Words Jennifer Stackhouse
Ripe dragon fruit are as spectacular as
the mouse melon (page 14) is cute: hot
pink with lime-green scales. When cut
open, the contrast between the pink
outer skin and white flesh peppered with tiny
black seeds is striking.
Because of this eye-catching appearance,
they are popular in restaurants and with
caterers. These fruits are often first discovered
on the fruit platter at a breakfast buffet in a hotel
while holidaying in Asia, where they are widely
grown and sold at markets and on juice stands.
They are also sold in Australia at
greengrocers and produce markets, and
sometimes may even be encountered in the
supermarket, but are treated as a curiosity.
While the pink form with white flesh is the
most dramatic variety, there are also species
with red, yellow or green fruit. The flavour of
dragon fruit is rather bland, though, especially
compared with its over-the-top appearance.
Growing tips
If you are intrigued by the very idea of an
edible cactus, let alone such a vibrantly
coloured one, the next step may be to try
to grow these plants in the garden or in
large containers. They are best in a warm
Dragon fruit are nightflowering
cacti. They
bloom overnight and
resemble discarded
balloons by the morning.
temperate, subtropical or tropical climate.
They can be grown from seed but are most
easily propagated from a cutting from another
plant. Provide a support for the cactus (it’s a
climber) and ensure it’s planted in well-drained
soil in a spot that’s sheltered from frost and
cold and from full sun. Then be patient. Plants
may grow vigorously but take time to flower
and form fruit. Once flowering begins, it can
occur throughout the year. Fruit forms best
in humid conditions.
Dragon fruit are night-flowering cacti: they
bloom overnight and resemble discarded
balloons by the morning. Nocturnal animals such
as bats or night-flying insects such as moths
are needed to pollinate the flowers. While they
can be self-fertile, crops are more reliable
where there’s more than one plant growing.
Prune flowered stems to encourage new
growth and more flowering.
Dragon
fruit Label
Common name: Dragon fruit, pitahaya
Botanical name: Hylocereus undatus
Family: Cactaceae (cactus family)
Requires: Full sun, well-drained soil,
regular fertiliser
Dislikes: Frost, prolonged cold
conditions
Suitable for: Trellis, fence, wall, post
Habit: Climbing cactus
Needs: May need hand pollination
Propagation: Cutting (leaf)
Difficulty: Easy
Another
edible cactus
Dragon fruit isn’t the only edible cactus.
Prickly pear (a weed in Australia)
produces edible fruit and pads (leaves).
This is a spiky customer, so harvest and
eat with caution!
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