Miss Eggy

Miss Eggy

The fruit is being sold regularly at a mart down the road from my place and my mother is considering growing from the seeds! so if we're successful, I'll let you guys know and we'll see.

Miss Eggy

http://www.nt.gov.au/dpif/pubcat/agnotes/778.htm

Looking forward to my first fruit harvest after Xmas.

This sounds interesting. Could you let me know where you can buy the fruit in Perth?

Thanks
Morie

I know it well and go there regularly. An amazing range of products. I'll keep an eye out.

My name is Paul and I love to eat this fruit so much.
I want to have the fruit for my mother (she haven't
eat it for 20 years since we moved to USA). If anyone
can sell me some cuttings of both the red and yellow
kind, I really appreciate. I will pay for all shipment
and package. Please help.Thank you.

anyway... this has got to be the oldest thread I've ever come across.. I cant believe it's still here!

I'd like to buy some off u (rivermint) if u dont mind... I dont have any dragon pearl fruit hence the askance.

I'll be back.

We bought ours at Woolies where they were listed at SEVENTEEN DOLLARS A KILO!! :o

I found the pitaya being sold at Phoenix shopping centre, in the tropical fruit section (small, and even has lady finger bananas!).

I understand that the pitay can still grow in a sandy soil. So go WA!

For those searching for Pitaya, I found my first (and only bought one, at this stage) at a nursery, within an area where there mainly lived people of an asian (in particular those from Vietnam). They love it and the nurseries cater for them. This might help if other nurseries are lacking.

Good luck!

I'm a "late bloomer" concerning this discussion, but found it while browsing for information concerning certain types of fruiting cactii.

It might be that the "dragon pearl" that Marg_Mc asked for is a pitahaya (Hylocereus), but it is also possible that it is a fruit of a cactii of an Epiphyllum anguliger or related species. All these cactuses are epiphytic and originate from Central and South America. I have bought some fruits of them in Malaysia, they were sold by name Dragon pearl, although that name normally means fruit of different pitahayas in S.E.Asia.

Ten years ago I got a cutting of a leafy cactus from a tomato grower friend of mine. He got it from a vicar friend of his who got it from a friend of his etc. Story goes that it might be originally from some botanical garden in U.K. The only thing my friend knew was that it produces large white flowers, which are fragrant, and later produces fruit, which are sweet and strawberry flavoured.

It took two years before my cutting bloomed, but Oh Boy what results!

15 fragrant flowers, followed by 9 green-reddish fruits, about the size of an hen's egg.

And the taste! Succulent, sweet and sligthely strawberry tasting. Small black seeds that need not to be removed. Taste is better and sweeter than that of a red pitahaya and slighly sweeter than yellow pitahaya, which I also grow.

This cactus is easily propagated from cuttings and these days some 15 friends of mine grow these "orchid cactuses", mostly on their windowsill (due to our arctic climate). What is amazing is that the size and shape of the cactus, as the shapes of their branches, varies from individual to another. Some plants produce flat "zig-zag" leaves, some more cylinder shaped, some both types on same plant. This is probably due to different temperature, light and soil conditions. I grow my plants on a type of epiphyte soil, 30 % bark, 30% moss and 40% sandy mulch. But some friends of mine grow it on a desert type cactus mulch, and still their plants thrive.

Light or temperature doesn't seem to play major part in blooming. Conditions of my friends vary, some live in central heated apartments and keep their plant on windowsill, year around. Some (as I) live in a house. I heat my house with fireplaces, which means quite high humidity (compared with central heating), modest temperature and some draft. Light is sparse, same as with most of my orchids. During summermonths (June-August) temperatures might rise to +25-30 C, believe it or not, and we enjoy "midnight sun". I place my Epiphyllum's outside, at the branches of appletrees. Conditions are as ideal for a such cactus as can be.

I and some friends enjoy of regular blooming and fruiting, I just ate two fruits few days ago. Some have never seen their cactus in bloom but enjoy of beautiful foliage. There seems to be no common factor who succeeds in blooming.

Despite of all this, I don't know the exact nature of my "wondercactus". It is probably a specimen of Epiphyllum anguliger, although it might be a hybrid of two species.

In warmer conditions this cactus would be ideal when grown in hanging baskets outside. Masses of fragrant white flowers, which drive butterflies crazy here in Finland (understandably, we don't have hummingbirds), followed by sweet and delicious fruits.

If You have any additional information/experience, please let me know,

Your Brother from the Land of Santa :)

My first puchased plant is growing well in a moist position by a west facing fence. The soil is a clay loam with good drainage. The plant has trippled in size in about 2 months of torrential rains. I also recently puchased a 1m tall plant from Bunnings for $20. I have put this in a very wet spot (partially chosen through lack of options) which has heavy clay soil and poor drainage - that may end up too wet, we'll see.

Some massive plants grow in Byron Bay (white variety) in northern NSW. They are growing on the sand dunes amongst the other trees right next to the beach. This indicates that they are very salt tolerant and that the roots can handle drying out. These do not seem to produce much fruit though.

I hope this is of help to someone.

Scott