Dragon Fruit, Red

A cacti producing red-skinned dragon fruit. It thrives most in USDA zones 10–11 but may survive outdoors in zone 9a or 9b. However, as a cactus it cannot handle large amount of water or wet feet, so if your receive a lot of rain or live in a humid climate, cultivate in a pot containing cactus potting mix, or equally well-drained soil. Each sample is a cutting 3 inches/5.5 cm long with multiple nodes. Dragon fruit can be planted shallowly vertically or horizontally and will sprout roots from areas other than the nodes, and requires very little moisture while rooting. Think “dry, benign neglect” for best results. Dragonfruit are self-fertile, but flower at night, so if grown indoors, manually aid in the pollination process by using a small brush or cotton swab to transfer pollen from the stamens to the stigma. This can be done by gently brushing the brush or swab against the stamens and then applying the collected pollen onto the stigma of the same or other flowers.