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Selenicereus megalanthus, the yellow pitahaya, is a climbing cactus from northern South America grown for its yellow spiny fruit and for some of the largest flowers of any cactus. It is an easy, fast-growing vine that needs warmth, good light and a humus-rich mix.
Selenicereus megalanthus, synonym Hylocereus megalanthus, is a cactus species in the genus Selenicereus that is native to northern South America, where it is known, along with its fruit, by the name of pitahaya. The species is grown commercially for its yellow fruit, but is also an impressive ornamental climbing vine with perhaps the largest flowers of all cacti.
The yellow skinned fruit of S. megalanthus has spines, unlike the green, red or yellow skinned dragon fruits of S. undatus, S. monacanthus and their cultivated hybrids. S. megalanthus is commonly known as "yellow dragon fruit", "yellow pitahaya", "kirin fruit", or "yellow pitaya". This name leads at times to confusion, as unrelated cultivars of other dragonfruit species can also have yellow skinned fruit. One example of a yellow dragonfruit cultivar not related to S. megalanthus is 'Australian Gold'.
This is an easily cultivated, fast-growing plant. It needs a compost containing plenty of humus, and sufficient moisture in summer. It should not be kept in temperatures under 8 °C (46.5 °F) in winter. It can be grown in semi-shade, but it does best in full sunlight. Extra light in the early spring stimulates budding. The plant flowers in June to October. The plant can grow to a very large size.
Nightblooming cactus · Fishbone Cactus · Selenicereus costaricensis · Queen of the night · Selenicereus hamatus · Selenicereus setaceus · Vine-like moonlight cactus · Nightblooming Cactus · Moonlight cactus
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Selenicereus megalanthus by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
