Rare Yellow Dragon Fruit is said to be the best tasting and sweetest of all cactus fruit. Closely related to Hylocereus, the fragrant flowers open at night and close in the morning. The flowers are self-fertile, but some people hand pollinate to ensure fruit set. Flowers open summer to fall with the fruit ripening over a long season from Sept to May. The fruit is ripe when the skin turns a vibrant yellow. It’s best to brush off the spines from the fruit before harvesting. The sweet white inner flesh has small, black, edible seeds. Eat fresh, use in salads, make into juice or smoothies or jam. This fruit is commonly grown in the ground on trellises in southern zones. In the north, grow in a large 7-10 gallon pot with a strong stake or trellis for support. Yellow Dragon Fruit thrives in a warm, humid climate. It’s also called pitaya.
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