Do You Plant Dragonfruit in the Shade or Sun?

Origin and Distribution

• The plant belongs to the cactus family and originated in tropical America, including southern Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Columbia, Ecuador, Curacao, Brazil, Uruguay, the Pacific side of Guatemala and Panama. The plant is distributed throughout tropical and sub-tropical America, including South Florida, the Caribbean, Asia, Australia, Hawaii, Israel, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan. It is Vietnam's most important export fruit.

Description

• Night-blooming cereus has triangular stems that typically have three to five wavy wings with scalloped edges along the entire length stems. Multiple fleshy-jointed branches grow from the plant's roots. Aerial roots that grow off the stem margins are tentacles that plants use to attach themselves to support structures. Plants produce flowers, that open only in the evening, and bear fruit during the summer -- or between June and October. Flowers develop from spherical buttons on stem margins that evolve into flower buds over the course of 16 to 17 days. After flowering, a fruit begins to form in the place where the flower was. The fruit is ready for harvest in as few as 30 days, but allowing the fruit to remain on the vine for as long as 50 days results in sweeter fruits.

Insolation

• Plants dragon fruit in full sunlight as long as the temperatures don't regularly exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit, sustained high temperatures can burn the plant's stems or the fruits. Ideal growing temperatures are between 65 and 77 F. University of Florida IFAS Extension horticulturalist Jonathan H. Crane, notes that "insolation," or severe sunburn, has been reported on plants grown in high altitude areas or areas with low humidity because of the intensity of the sun. In mountainous areas where there is little humidity, or in areas that get extremely hot, protect plants by planting them where they will get shaded during the hottest part of the day.

Propagation

• Dragon fruit plants are easy to propagate. Entire stem segments or 6- to 8-inch sections are recommended for propagation. Francis Zee, of the Tropical Plant Genetic Resources Management Unit of the Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center notes that a slanted cut on the stem end to be planted may improve rooting. Curing is the process of allowing the cutting to heal and dry in the shade for several days prior to planting. After curing, plant the cutting in a pot, allowing it to remain there for four to six months before transplanting it into the landscape. Cuttings are often taken so that the cured stem can be planted in a container and grown as a houseplant in full sun. Container grown plants are ideal for people who don't live in places such as Hawaii or south Florida where there is no danger of long term freezes.