15/05/2026
The pitahaya is a cactus, and as such, drought -resistant . It is a hardy, succulent cactus with long, triangular stems. It typically twines around nearby trees, feeding on the moisture from their bark, and climbs the branches eight to ten meters above the ground without penetrating the soil. The pitahaya flower , which is tubular and hermaphroditic like most cacti, is beautiful but short-lived. It appears dazzling in the morning, but as soon as it begins to feel the sun's heat, it suddenly withers. It opens only once at night, and its pungent aroma attracts numerous insects. It self-pollinates but can also cross-pollinate, with bats being the best pollinators in its natural habitat. Fruit formation, from pollination to harvest, takes four to eight months, depending on the prevailing temperatures.
The fruit is ovoid in shape, measuring 10 cm long by 6 cm wide. It is typically green when young, turning yellow or red as it develops, depending on the cultivar. Its scaly skin is the origin of its name, "pitahaya," which in Haitian means "scaly fruit." This skin has clusters of hard, sharp spines that detach easily and must be carefully removed before harvesting to avoid injury. It is a flavorful fruit with a soft, sweet, and tender pulp in yellow cultivars and crimson in red-skinned varieties, which tend to have a lower sugar content . [ 3 ]
