- Stock: In Stock
- Model: dragon-fruit-Purple-Haze
Family: Cactaceae (the cactus family)
Genus: Selenicereus (includes several dragon fruit species)
Botanical/Binomial Name: Selenicereus guatemalensis × Selenicereus undatus
Meaning of Name:
Selenicereus, from Ancient Greek Σελήνη (Selḗnē, the Greek moon goddess) + Latin cereus (‘wax taper’, ‘torch’, ‘candle’, also a name used for upright cacti): night-flowering cactus; and
guatemalensis, from Latin guatemalēnsis (‘Guatemalan’); and
undatus, from Latin undātus (‘wavy’, ‘wave-like’)
Common Names: Dragon Fruit, Strawberry Pear, Pitaya
Botanical Characteristics: Succulent | Perennial | Evergreen | Frost tender
Propagation: Cuttings | Layering
Item Description:
With many thanks to Günter for these pieces! The cuttings are about 80-100 mm wide by about 500-800 mm tall.
The pot is second-hand with dimensions 120 mm diameter × 130 mm deep.
The plant you will receive may not be the one in the photo, but will be very similar. I may remove the pot and/or trim when posting if that aids packing and getting postage down for you.
Plant Description:
Dragon fruit comes from any of several species of climbing cactus.
The ‘Purple Haze’ cultivar is a fruit with red skin and vivid purple flesh, and is a hybrid of Selenicereus guatemalensis (red skin, purple flesh) and Selenicereus undatus (red skin, white flesh).
The flowers open at night and require cross-pollination with another type to set fruit. Bats and moths are the pollinators.
‘Purple Haze’ fruit is very sweet, large, and up to 1 kg in weight.
Growing Information:
Dragon fruit cacti are grown in well-draining, fertile soil in full sun to partial shade. They are natural climbers via aerial roots, and growth is encouraged up a thick pole or similar support of about 1-1.5 m in height. Once they reach the top they will naturally arch out and down towards the ground under their own weight.
The flowers and fruit form on these unsupported lengths, in reach for an easy harvest.
Local pick-up is welcome — we’re in Gwynneville, near Wollongong University.
Pick-up is by mutual arrangement please, as we don’t have a shopfront.
Having said that, we are always here and more often than not can easily fit in with whichever day and time suits you best!
Feel free to suggest preferred pick-up time(s) in the comments box during checkout and we’ll reply as soon as we see the notification.
Especial Note Regarding Large Air-Pot® Orders
Depending on the order, we may suggest that large Air-Pot® orders are best sent directly to you from the warehouse.
Especial Note Regarding Jujube Trees
When posting out bare-rooted jujube trees, we routinely trim them to fit the box and keep postage costs to a minimum. These trees are typically knee-high when planted out, though some may be smaller.
This of course doesn’t apply for pick-ups, and in fact we will set aside the tallest trees specifically for this purpose. These trees can often be hip-high, and sometimes taller again.
Please note that this is not a guarantee, as heights of different cultivars can differ from year to year.