University of Florida Plant Information Pitaya (Dragonfruit) Growing in the Florida Home Landscape
Scientific Name: Hylocereus undatus and other species and hybrids (Table 1).
Common Names: English: Strawberry pear, dragonfruit, night-blooming cereus. Spanish: pitahaya, tuna, nopal, pitajaya.
Family: Cactaceae Origin: Tropical America; southern Mexico, Pacific side of Guatemala, Costa Rica and El Salvador; Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Curacao, Panama, Brazil, and Uruguay.
Distribution: Tropical and subtropical America, south Florida, Caribbean, Hawaii, Asia, Australia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Israel.
Importance: Since pre-Columbian times, pitayas have been very common in their native countries, where they are consumed by the general population. Recently, pitayas are traded in international markets and have become the most important export fruit of Vietnam. Demand will increase for many years as this delicious fruit becomes better known in other markets.