How to Grow and Care for Dragon Fruit Plant

If you're looking for a truly other-worldly fruit to grow on a plant that blooms only at night with large fragrant flowers, look no further than the dragon fruit plant. Also known as dragon fruit cactus or pitahaya, the plant is native to Mexico, Central America, and South America.

Known for its bright pink, leathery skin with thorn-like fins, dragon fruit is sweet on the inside, featuring brightly colored flesh with tiny black seeds. In addition to producing unusual, nutritious, and showy fruit, these fast-growing perennial cacti also have ornamental value in your outdoor landscape. The plants grow up to 20 feet tall and produce aerial roots that allow them to cling to surfaces, creating their creeping, climbing habit. Smaller varieties of dragon fruit cactus are also grown indoors as houseplants.

How to Plant Dragon Fruit Cactus

When to Plant

Dragon fruit cactus is best planted in the early spring to take full advantage of its growing season from March to August.

Selecting a Planting Site

To successfully grow your own dragon fruit plant, you need a location with well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade and ample space. This is a large, heavy cactus with a spreading habit and long stems. Make sure to plant it 15 to 25 feet away from your home and other structures, trees, and electrical lines.

Spacing, Depth, and Support

Dig a hole that is 3 to 4 times in diameter and 3 times as deep as the nursery container (this loosens up the soil and aids in root development). Refill the hole with enough soil so that when you place the plant in the hole, it is at the same level as it was in the container.

Space plants at least 6 feet apart and support them with a strong trellis.

Dragon Fruit Plant Care

In tropical or subtropical conditions that mimic its natural habitat, dragon fruit cactus is a fast and vigorous grower. The most challenging part is to get the plants pollinated for fruit production.

Light

Although dragon fruit plants enjoy warm weather and are often planted in full sunlight, too much intense sun in dry and especially hot regions causes stem damage. If temperatures in your area are frequently near 100 degrees F, it's best to plant your cactus in a spot with partial shade. Too much shade, on the other hand, typically results in less abundant fruit production and the quality of your harvest may not be as impressive.

Soil

Dragon fruit cacti are not terribly fussy when it comes to soil type or pH level. The key is that the soil is moist, rich in organic matter, and well-draining. Mulch around the base of the plant—especially in drier regions—to help the soil retain its moisture.

Water

Although the dragon fruit plant has some drought tolerance, to produce a good fruit crop, it's best to water it consistently from the beginning of the bloom to harvest. However, excessive watering risks root rot and various forms of fungal disease. During the winter and into early spring, give the plant less water.

Temperature and Humidity

Dragon fruit plants are native to tropical regions, they won't survive in areas that experience freezing weather, especially if that freeze is prolonged. Temperatures ranging from 65 degrees F to 80 degrees F at the highest are considered optimal growing conditions.

Fertilizer

Dragon fruit cacti are fast growers and heavy feeders. During their first year, fertilize them every couple of months with a complete balanced fertilizer, ideally one with a high nutrient content, such as 20-20-20. Once the plants are well-established, they should do fine with just a couple of fertilizer applications in the spring and summer. In addition, amend the soil with compost or organic matter a couple of times a year.

Pollination

Some dragon fruit cultivars are self-incompatible, which means you may need two to three different varieties to ensure a better chance of fruit production through cross-pollination. The flowers of the dragon fruit plant open at night when there are no bees around; they are mostly pollinated by bats and moths. The flowers of some cultivars remain open in the early morning hours so you might get lucky and bees that are out and about early will find them. If you are growing a variety that is not self-pollinating and want to be sure the flowers get pollinated, you will have to resort to hand-pollination between dusk and dawn. Collect the pollen from the stamen of one variety and gently dab it onto the stigma of another variety. Use a fresh cotton swab for every plant.

Types of Dragon Fruit Plant

There are about 15 species of dragon fruit plants with different fruit colors, as well as numerous hybrid varieties. Popular ones include:

• ‘American Beauty’: a self-fertile cultivar of Hylocereus guatemalensis. It has red skin with green bracts and bright, magenta-colored flesh. 
• ‘Dark Star’: a self-sterile hybrid with dark pink skin and purple flesh that has grape-like flavor.
• ‘David Bowie’: a self-fertile and self-pollinating cultivar of Hylocereus undatus with pinkish-red skin that is covered with numerous green bracts. The flesh is white with a lemony taste.
• ‘Purple Haze’: a vigorously growing, self-pollinating hybrid. The fruit is large, one to two pounds each, with pink skin and green bracts. The purple flesh is very sweet with hints of grape and kiwi and only a few seeds.
• ‘Zamorano’: a self-pollinating hybrid with dark red flesh and sweet, mild flavor. It is a slow grower, which makes it a good choice for containers.

Harvesting Dragon Fruit

You will know your dragon fruit is ready to harvest when the flaps on the pink outer skin starts to develop a withered appearance. If it's ripe, you should be able to twist it from the stem with ease. Any fruit that has fallen from the stem on its own tends to be overripe, so timing your harvest properly is important. If kept in the refrigerator, dragon fruit lasts up to two weeks.

The large, edible flowers that are produced by the cactus are also impressive—they tend to be white and have a strong fragrance. However, they are usually nocturnal, so you'll only get to enjoy (and pick) them once the sun has gone down.

How to Grow Dragon Fruit Plant in Pots

For container-growing, choose a smaller variety such as 'Edgar’s Baby,' 'Alice,' 'Seoul Kitchen,' 'Yellow Dragon Fruit,' or 'Zamorano.' Use a five-gallon container that is at least 10 to 12 inches deep, with adequate drainage holes. To prevent the container from toppling over, a ceramic or terra-cotta pot works better than lightweight plastic. Fill it with nutrient-rich, neutral to acidic potting soil (not cactus soil). To further improve the drainage, place pebbles, stones, or bark at the bottom of the container.

Provide a sturdy trellis for the plant to grow on.

Pruning

Pruning your dragon fruit cactus is key to minimizing the risk of fungal disease and insect infestation. Uncontrolled growth also leads to poor light penetration for the tangled center stems, which impacts fruit production. Regular pruning also encourages prolific flowering and prevents the plant from becoming too heavy for the trellis.

Plan to periodically cut back any overly long, damaged, tangled, or dead stems as often as two or three times per year. If you're lucky (or have a younger plant), you may be able to get away with a
single annual pruning session after you have harvested the fruit.

Propagating Dragon Fruit Plant

Propagating dragon fruit from stem cuttings is easy and yields fast results, unlike propagation from seed, which is not recommended because it takes up to seven years before the plant starts bearing fruit.

Here is how to use stem cuttings to make a new plant:

1. Take a 10- to 12-inch cutting from a healthy stem. Treat the cut end with fungicide.
2. Let the cutting callus over in a dry, shady place for 7 to 10 days.
3. Dust the cut end with rooting hormone and plant the cutting cut-side down in a pot filled with a well-draining potting mix.
4. Water it lightly and keep it moderately moist. Once the cutting has started to root (check by gently tugging on it), gradually move it to a location with more sunlight. It will take the cuttings 4 to 6 months to develop a good root system, after which they are ready for planting in the landscape or larger pots.

When planted from a cutting, you may have a harvest within one to three years.

Potting and Repotting

A mature dragon fruit plant requires a 25- to 30-gallon size container with a depth of 20 to 24 inches. Given the fast growth rate of the plant, it will require frequent repotting to a larger container with fresh potting soil whenever the plant becomes root-bound. Keep in mind that the roots of the plant are very small and hairy and repotting it requires extra caution in order not to damage them.

Overwintering

Overwintering measures are only necessary below USDA zone 10, where dragon fruit plant can be grown in containers. Bring the plants indoors when daytime temperatures drop below 65 F and there is any danger of frost. In the spring, wait until all danger of frost is past and the daytime temperatures are consistently above 70 degrees F.

In fall and winter, reduce the watering, as the plant goes dormant.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Depending on where you live, wild animals could find your dragon fruit crop appealing. You may need to take measures to protect your cactus and its fruit from rats, raccoons, birds, and more. The plants are also attractive to ants, mealybugs, mites, and thrips.

Potential diseases are stem rot or canker, reddish-brown, yellowish, or white spots and lesions on the stems and blades (leaves). Rot and canker can be difficult to contain on a dragon fruit plant. Remove the damaged, infected parts and treat the plant with a fungicide. To avoid these types of issues, ensure your plant gets the right amount of sun, moisture, and air circulation.