Dragon Fruit Plant

Dragon fruit has lately become one of the most prominent commercial crop in the world. Native to Mexico and Central America, the dragon fruit plant is cultivated in various parts of the world today. The soaring popularity of dragon fruit has resulted in more and more people opting to grow it in their own farms as well as backyard.

What is a Dragon Fruit?
Dragon fruit is grown in the various parts of the world, right from Philippines to Mexico. The original name of this fruit, which is widely known as the dragon fruit owing to its scaly appearance, is pitaya. It is also referred to as the Queen of the Night, Lady of the Night or Moonflower owing to its tendency to bloom at night. Dragon fruit or pitaya has three varieties the Red pitaya, the Yellow pitaya and the Costa Rica pitaya. This fruit can weigh anywhere between 150 to 600 grams, and has red or white flesh within. The fruit is eaten along with its seeds. It is believed that the dragon fruit tastes the best when eaten chilled. Various nutritional benefits of dragon fruit make it a popular choice among health enthusiasts. if you are new initiate of this tribe then may be you can do with some dragon fruit nutrition facts.

How to Grow Dragon Fruit Plant?
The dragon fruit plant is a plant of cactus species which can attain a height 20 feet. Though the plant flourishes in areas with hot climate, you can grow it in your own backyard as well. In the United States, dragon fruit plants are known to flourish in USDA zones 10 and 11. Growing dragon fruit plants is easier than it seems and the fact that the minimal care required to grow it makes it even more popular. You can either grow a dragon fruit plant from the seed or grow it from a vine. The second method is more convenient, especially if you don't live in tropical area. More importantly, growing these plants from the seeds can take a longer time. You will require potting soil or a compost mix to grow these seeds. These seeds will germinate in 10 to 14 days. When planting a vine, make sure that you have planted it 2-3 inches into the ground. Dragon fruit is a variety of cactus, and hence there are significant chances that over watering can damage the plant. Therefore one of the most important aspect of dragon fruit plant care is to water the plant once every two weeks. This will also give enough time for the soil to dry. Initially you will have to keep the plant in warm condition, preferably in filtered sunlight. As the plant grows, its stems will become heavy. At this point of time you will have to provide the plant with a some support to grow.

The dragon fruit plant flowers 3 - 6 times in a year. It can with stand a temperature ranging between frost (for a brief period) to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Dragon fruit plant blooms during the night and requires nocturnal creatures like the bats to facilitate pollination. This may turn out to be a negative aspect, if you intend to grow dragon fruit plant for fruits. On the other hand, if you intend to grow the plant to enhance the landscape, you will be more than happy about the results.