Types of Pitaya

Sweet Pitayas

• Sweet pitayas are fruit that have sweet-tasting flesh. All sweet pitaya cacti belong in the Hylocereus genus of plants. These plants are native to Southern Mexico, and Central and South America. One of the most common sweet pitaya plants is Hylocereus undatus. The fruit of this plant is red and known as dragon fruit or strawberry pears. According to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, sweet pitayas are common in their native ranges. Sweet pitayas can be chilled, split in half and the flesh eaten with spoons.Yellow and Costa Rica pitayas are other types of pitayas on the market.

Sour Pitayas

• As its name suggests, the flesh of sour pitaya fruit has a sour taste. Sour pitaya fruit plants fall under the Stenocereus genus of cacti. Plants with sour pitaya fruit usually are found in the Sonoran Desert of Northern Mexico and the American Southwest. Two common sour pitaya plants are Stenocereus gummosus and Stenocereus thurberi, or organ pipe cactus. According to Oregon State University's College of Health and Human Sciences, sour pitaya was an important food source for Native Americans before the arrival of European explorers. Like sweet pitaya, most sour pitaya fruit is red and approximately 2 to 3 inches long.

Columnar Cacti

• A columnar cactus is the colloquial name for cactus species and genera with a column-like structure. Some species of columnar cactus bear fruit, which often is called pitaya. The Peruvian apple cactus is a columnar cactus in the Cereus genus of plants. Its pitaya fruit has a 2.5-inch diameter, an apple shape and red skin. Peruvian apple cacti are native to Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. Other names for the Peruvian apple cactus include queen of the night and hedge cactus.

Cultivation

• Sweet and sour pitayas cacti are native to different regions of the world and require different cultivation methods. Sweet pitayas grow in American tropical and subtropical environments, making them require moist climates and soils. The annual rainfall requirement for sweet pitayas ranges between 25 and 50 inches. Sour pitayas are native to hot, arid climates, and have higher drought tolerances than cacti with sweet pitayas. Like other cactus plants, sour pitaya cacti require more intense sunlight as they grow older. Watering occurs several times per month for sour pitaya cacti.