White Dragon Fruit Plant

Many people are surprised and amazed to discover that the popular Dragon Fruit doesn’t come from a tree, but is the fruit of a cactus. Not just a regular cactus, but one that grows as long, trailing and climbing stems, typically up into a jungle tree. These remarkable plants bloom at night, with the flower opening in the evening and dying by morning. What a flower it is, up to a foot across, glowing white, and richly perfumed with the scent of the tropics. These kinds of cacti are often grown just for their blooms, but this one also produces a pitaya, a large round fruit with purple skin and white flesh, studded with small black seeds. The fruits can weigh over a pound, and begin green. Once they turn pink-purple, wait about 10 days before harvesting – by then it will be at peak sweetness, and maximum flavor. An established plant can have 6-foot stems, and produce a good crop of fruits. It is self-pollinating, so you only need one for a big harvest. It can be grown as a houseplant in a hanging basket, or trained up into an existing plant, like a Yucca. In zone 10 grow it outdoors in a basket or planted in the ground and trained up into a tree.

• Very large fruits have pink-purple skin and white flesh
• Very sweet and tasty flesh – one of the best
• Grows as a cactus with long, trailing stems
• Self-pollinating, and can bloom several times through summer
• Plant outdoors in zone 10, or grow as a houseplant

Most people will grow the White Dragon Fruit indoors, but in zone 10 it can be grown outdoors. Give plenty of sun, with some shade in the middle of the day. Grow it in a well-drained soil, adding sand and bark chips for an open, well-drained mix. Water regularly, but not frequently, giving more water during summer when blooms are produced. Fertilize regularly with tomato fertilizers while flowering and fruiting. During winter keep it dry and don’t encourage growth. It is unlikely to have pest or disease issues, but be careful not to overwater it.