Hylocereus undatus

nightblooming cactus

I imagine that most people who look at this display label don’t realize what plant it corresponds to. At eye level, you can see the tan-colored roots of the plant making their way from the ground up the mahogany trunk. Following them further, almost to the point of falling over, look for where the roots finally join up with the dark green stems of this tree-climbing cactus dangling from above, a strange sight indeed.

The flowers and fruit of this plant are far from expected, too. The plant blooms once every 3-4 months here in the Keys. Each individual flower is several inches in diameter and only open for one night, hoping for a bat to pass by and pollinate it. The fruit that results from pollination is commonly known as “strawberry pear” or “dragonfruit” and is bright pink in color with a speckled white interior. It is commonly eaten like a kiwi: chilled, then cut in half and enjoyed with a spoon, but the fruit may also be juiced. If you’re not in the mood for fruit, you can always harvest the unopened flower bud to cook and eat as a vegetable.

Medicinally, sap from the stems of the cactus has been used in the past as a vermifuge but this is considered to be a dangerous remedy, as the sap is caustic.

Syrup made from the pink fruit skin is used to color candies and pastries.

This cactus is a vigorous grower here in the Keys without any special care and is often used as the rootstock onto which ornamental cacti are grafted. You can see an example of this with our bright red and orange grafted moon cacti in the Aquascape Garden.