They are a cactus fruit, and though they are cultivated in Asian countries like the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, they are native to Mexico. They grow well in Hawaii, too. There are two particularly interesting facts about dragon fruit: 1. They are epyphitic, which means they grow non-parasitically on another plant, or along something like a telephone pole; and 2. The flower the fruit comes from opens only once, and always at night, earning it the name “moonflower” because it is all white.
Our bees go absolutely nuts for the beautiful moonflower. (Lucky for her because she needs their pollination services!)
Many mornings as the sun rises we’ll watch the moonflower start closing, and the bees, rolling in the pollen and nectar deep inside the flower, barely escape as the petals tighten forever.
Dragon fruit are tasty, but quite mild after all their showy exterior. They’re nice to eat chilled and sliced when it’s hot out.