Aka Hylocereus tricostatus, Pitaya, pitahaya, dragon fruit, or strawberry pear, is the fruit of several cactus species native to the region of southern Mexico and along the Pacific coasts of Guatemala, Costa Rica, and El Salvador. According to Wikipedia, Pitaya is cultivated in East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the United States, the Caribbean, Australia, Brazil, and throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is named for its unique appearance, which is said to resemble the … Continue reading Selenicereus undatus (Pitaya, Dragon Fruit)

This is another night blooming cactus, also popularly called ‘queen of the night’ o ‘dama de la noche’. Cereus hexagonus or lady of the night cactus is a species of columnar cactus found in South and Central America, as well as North America and the Caribbean. It is not epiphytic like Epiphyllum oxypetalum, but terrestrial, growing in columns throughout the Caribbean. Cereus hexagonus grows like a tree with erect … Continue reading Cereus hexagonus (Dama de la Noche)

Dutchman’s pipe cactus, dama de la noche, princess of the night or queen of the night,  is a species of cactus with a native range from Central America to the Caribbean. It is a flat leaf cactus, not columnar like Cereus. I have a plant and it blooms nocturnally, as other night cacti may do, except that Epiphyllum species are epiphytic and are not terrestrial although you may keep them in … Continue reading Epiphyllum oxypetalum (Princess of the Night)