Monday, July 11, 2011

The new Pollinator



Last night my Dragon Fruit plant had the first flowers of the summer, this year I decided to pollinate the flowers myself. This flowers open at night and by morning they are done, so the chances that a moth or bat pollinates the flowers, is slim to none.


Over the years I had hundreds of flowers and only 3 fruits. This year while taking a back tour of the land exhibit at Epcot center I saw a dragon fruit plant with many fruits. The tour guide told me that Disney employees come out the night the flowers open and using Q-tips they pollinate each flower.



The dragon fruit plant is a native of the American southwest, a Hylocereus climbing cactus. The common name comes from the short green fins that grow on the bright, pinkish-red skin reminiscent of the scales of a dragon.

The fruit is consider a delicacy, sweet, low on calories and high in lycopene an antioxidant. The proper way to eat it is chilled and cut in half so the flesh may be spooned out.

4 comments:

Darla said...

Way to go Rusty!

NanaK said...

Those flowers are gorgeous enough that I wouldn't need fruit. But, I do hope you get a lot of fruit for your efforts.

Susan said...

That flower is spectacular!

Stellamarina said...

In Thailand I had dragon fruit juice bought at street venders carts. They just cut up the fruit and put it in a blender. Very nice. Will be interested to hear how the fruiting goes on your dragon fruit.