Hylocereus undatus

Common Name: nightblooming cactus

Family: Cactaceae

Common Synonyms: Hylocereus guatemalensis

USDA Hardiness Zone: 10a-11

Growth Habit: Terrestrial or epiphytic cactus

Origin: Tropical America

FISC Category: -

FDACS Listed Noxious Weed: No

Introduction Date: Earliest Florida specimen vouchered in 1962

IFAS Assessment:

• North: OK
• Central: INVASIVE
• South: INVASIVE

Description

A large sprawling or vining, terrestrial or epiphytic cactus with aerial roots. Stems are green, 3-winged, and grow up to 5 m long (in mature plants), 4 to 7.5 cm, margins undulate. Spines in clusters of 1 to 3(- 5) and up to 1 cm long, typically 2-3 mm long. Flowers are ornate, 25-35 cm long by 30 cm across, white with green outer tepals and bracts. Flowers bloom only at night and last just one night.

Habitat

Disturbed areas

Comments

Planted for production of dragon fruit. Shade tolerant, can invade hammocks.

Control Methods

• Manual: Mechanical: Hand pull and remove from site if possible.
• Chemical: Lay the plants out on a plastic tarp and spray them with 10% triclopyr ester, 15% glyphosate has been successful but it takes much longer for the plants to die.
• Biological: NA

Control Notes

NA

References

Dave's Garden. 2014. PlantFiles: Red Pitaya, Hylocereus undatus. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/54131/. Accessed on June 20, 2014.

Queensland Government. 2014. Weeds of Australia, Night-blooming cactus, Hylocereus undatus. http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/03030800-0b07-490a-8d04-0605030c0f01/media/Html/Hylocereus_undatus.htm. Accessed June 28, 2014.

Wunderlin, R. P., and B. F. Hansen. 2008. Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/).[S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), Florida Center for Community Design and Research.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.