Do you know what a dragon fruit is? Do you know where a dragon fruit comes from? Well don’t feel bad; until a few days ago, I didn’t know what it was either and it turns out I was growing them in my back yard!
Last week, while surfing the gardening blogosphere, I came across the Garden Views blog where I found a post about this unusual fruit. Seems the author had purchased the Dragon Fruit at her local supermarket. I realized that this was the same fruit I had picked from my Epiphyllum plant!
You all have seen pictures of my Epiphyllum Orchid Cactus (night-blooming cereus) plant. Well, the dragon fruit comes from the plant's flowers and is considered a gourmet delicacy and a nutrional powerhouse, loaded with fiber and vitamin C. After reading about the fruit and finding out that it was not going to kill me, I decided to try it. Although I found the taste bland and not my preference, I can see mixing it in a salad to add a crunchy texture and increase the nutritional benefits.
My Orchid Cactus grew from a cutting several years ago and it has taken over the remaining trunk of my dead coconut tree. Over the years it has produced hundreds of flowers but never any fruits. This year, for the first time, it gave me two fruits. I could not believe it--why now, after so many flowers? Mysteries of Mother Nature's plant world that us mere mortals will never be privy to.
I am thinking if every flower turned into a fruit, I could sell them to trendy gourmet supermarkets. This could be serious money and maybe the start of a new career for me :-)
The magnificent flowers of the orchid cactus only bloom at night and only for one night.
See below the only two fruits my plant produced this year.
7 comments:
Rusty: I have pictures of dragonfruit from Asia to post some time later. It’s almost always served at breakfast at the hotels. I agree its rather bland, esp for such a flamboyant looking fruit.
Wow, the flowers from the Dragon Fruit are sensational!!
Your garden has great colour. Right now mine has a distinctly white theme. However in a couple of days I am heading to a latitude very similar to yours....Morocco. So I hope to be admiring in person flowers such as you make me drool over.
nice plant
Hi there, Rusty :-)
What stunning flowers to only last one night! I suppose that's what makes them so special. Thanks for posting to let us all share its beauty :-D
My Scottish gardenwatch has quite different flowering blooms if you would like to visit :-D
The name sounds spectacular what a pity the flavor lets it down. Love those gorgeous blooms on your cactus, Rusty even though they only last for one night.
Have a great weekend!
That's a pretty extreme looking fruit, with such vibrant colors I expected you to describe a strong exotic flavor. Regardless of the taste, it is still a very cool find in your garden!
beautiful!!
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