Mount Warning Holiday Park has a massive dragon fruit growing on a palm tree near their swimming pool.
Notice how the yellow flowers are drooping. This is because it is night flowering. The dragon fruit is quite happy to hang itself off this tree and it loves getting all the sun near the pool. It climbed to the very top of the palm tree with ease.
Because the Dragon Fruit is self pollinating it does need ants or bees to pollinate it so sure enough it was covered in ants.
The above pictures are of a Yellow Dragon Fruit and it will still be a while before you can pick the fruit. However they had another Red dragon fruit again on a palm tree which was fruiting.
I notice that in Brisbane at the moment some shops are selling imported dragon fruits (around $4 each yet you can grow your own for $12.90) from Vietnam however after seeing these huge dragon fruit vines there is no reason why in the near future we will be eating commercially grown dragon fruit from Australia hopefully a bit cheaper as well.
Another thing I noticed is that they don't have any roots in the ground. I could be wrong but once they are established they seem to dig themselves into the host tree and I assume feed themselves this way perhaps like a strangler fig however not as aggressive as they rely on the host tree for survival. Am I right?
Your presentation on fruit trees is very well done in terms of information and quality of presentation.
ReplyDeleteMurray Hargans
We are growing Dragon Fruit in Bundaberg Qld -interested in finding more people in Qld whp are growing them email me reg_maureen18@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteVery good.We can share info.You can visit my site at http://reddragonfruits.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeletetq
I live on the big island of hawaii and am growing dragon fruit. i enjoyed your photos and info. mahalo
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately you're incorrect about the dragon fruit cactus "strangling it's host". They indeed have roots in the ground, their aerial roots are only to attach themselves to whatever object they're climbing. Otherwise the commercial ones growing on metal pipes etc would not be able to live.
ReplyDeleteI live in Dallas, Texas and have a dragon fruit plant that I put in a heated greenhouse over the winter. It has been in the same soil and 6" pot for about 8 years. I doubt there is any nutritional soil left yet the plant doubles in size each year. It is currently about 3' in diameter with about 25 "stalks". I don't think they require ground roots to grow. I think they get their nutrients through air roots. That said, mine has never fruited. Maybe no soil is why. That's OK - I grow it for the blooms.
ReplyDeletein my country is hard to find yellow dragon fruits
ReplyDeleteI am interested to know how long it takes for a plant to start growing fruit? Does anyone know please?
ReplyDelete