The pitaya belongs to the climbing cacti family, an epiphytic group native to the forests of Mexico, northern South America and Central America. Epiphytic plants, common in tropical rain forests, lack soil roots and live in the canopy, supported by other trees and vines. Their aerial roots form a tangled network through which they obtain water and nutrients from falling organic debris.
Interestingly, native crawling pitayas do not possess the traditional large-leafed, rich green features of tropical plants, despite the fact that they live in a virtual Garden of Eden, blessed by up to four meters of rain per year. The reason? Because of their epiphytic nature, they are often subjected to water stress and have thus evolved the common adaptations of arid zone plants: distinct cacti, often spiny, thick stems. Fortunately, these features confer a significant advantage for arid zone farmers. Climbing cacti require a mere tenth the amount of water of any known domesticated crop!
Yet what about the fruit? The crawling pitaya, also known as eden or dragon fruit, appears to have inherited the best of both worlds. It boasts luscious, red, exotically tasting fruit that wouldn't be out of place in the most magnificent, rainbow-coloured tropical environment. In addition, the fruit is spineless and possesses protracted shelf life.
