The Dragon Fruit spreads its succulent branches in all directions. Prickly and pushy it cannot be called beautiful as, snaking in all different directions, it shoves through and round anything in its way.Nature takes many forms, all unique and with one ambition, to reproduce its species. Can you spot the tiny flower buds starting to form? In the photo below there are 3 of them on these branches. Slowly they develop.
Then overnight, with a burst of exuberance, the flowers appear, flaunting their beauty to the world and the nigh time insects and moths passing by.The show is short-lived as after one day they shrivel into a stringy brown tail. Then slowly fruit forms and swells.Checking them every day it is fascinating to watch, as they gradually turn to a rich red. Then they are ready to pick.
To enhance the juicy flavour put them in the fridge overnight. Then they are ready to eat. The taste is hard to pin down with some saying it’s a sweet mix of mild kiwi fruit, watermelon, strawberry and pear flavours.
Succulent and dripping with juice, spoon them straight from the skin and enjoy.
One of the pure joys of nature and gardening is producing your own food.
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This week Patti has inspired me with the theme of nature for “the len’s-artist photo challenge”
They make such a pretty picture on the plate, Pauline! Nature is amazing, seen like this 🙂 🙂
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They didn’t last long on the plate 😊
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Certainly bountiful!
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So easy to grow too
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That’s always a bonus, Pauline!
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This post shows the formation of the dragon fruit perfectly. I would like to mention it is also called a Pitaya and is rich in vitamins C,B1,B2 and B3, calcium and iron and the list goes on and each fruit has only about 60 calories. Being keen on health that is what I really like about Dragon Fruit.
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Thanks jack for adding this information they really are a little powerhouse
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I love how refreshing dragon fruit is to eat, Pauline. And now, thanks to you, I can see the whole life cycle. Wonderful. 🙂
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We drool over them Cathy, they are so refreshing, strangely some people find them too bland
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Fantastic cycle captured, Pauline! Very informative – and beautiful!
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And so easy to grow
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Not here…;-D
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Definitely a warm weather fruit
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Oh wow, I’m eating them quite often but I never saw the plant. Thank you 😊
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They are very unusual looking aren’t they
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Yes but very tasty 😋
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I’ve seen them in stores, but never eaten one. What a beautiful flower it has!
janet
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Worth trying for a different taste sensation
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Wow! What a wonderful fruit and how I wish we had them over here.
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I’ve just found out that you can freeze them.
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I’m impressed that you grow such an exotic fruit, Pauline. How many years does it take before it fruits?
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It fruits in its second year, then produces on new offshoots each year
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A few months ago we saw the dragon fruit in a local market, we were seeing it for the first time and asked about it. But we did not buy it as we were not told about its tasty. Thank you for the post.
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Try it I’m sure you will like it
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Beautiful, delicious and fun to grow – a triple winner! Great choice for nature’s wonders Pauline.
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Thanks Tina and it costs us nothing. They are about $5 each in the shops
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Interesting, Pauline! I have never tried Dragon Fruit, but your post certainly makes me curious to taste it. I enjoyed seeing how the plant grows over time. Is it one of your favorite types of fruit?
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Yes it is and especially as it grows so easily and costs us nothing 🤗
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I’ve never seen the plant before. How interesting to know you can grow it in your garden.
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It is a tropical plant so only good in warm climates, but grows like a weed here…
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I will have to try one next time we are over there. Though not sure they would be a viable commercial
product?
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There are lots of them in the green grocer shop at the moment selling for about $5 each for the big ones. They are seasonal though. A friend told me the super market has packets of frozen ones too.
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Okay thanks for the information. I do miss the tasty fruit from Queensland. Family living there and have a good supply of mango’s. Very tasty!!
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Mango season nearly over. ☹️
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Never eaten one, but it does sound rather nice although I am not a fan of watermelon. The plant itself looks like a big Christmas Cactus!! At the moment I am enjoying some golden kiwi fruit!
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It has a texture similar to watermelon too so you may not like it. Golden kiwi fruit are good, but I prefer the green ones, think they have more flavour. Hope your weather continues to improve. VERY windy here at the moment. Hope it calms down before we fly out on Wednesday…
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I shall have to try one if I see it! I like the golden kiwi because of the mild flavour and the lack of that weird astringent taste it leaves in the mouth. Safe travels!!
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Mmmm! I’d love to taste it. Thank you for the presentation.
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I’m sure you would enjoy it
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I tried one once and didn’t like it. I expect the problem was the distance it had travelled and the way it had been stored rather that the fruit itself!
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Fresh and home grown always makes a difference
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Those used to be so obscure, but now that so many of us do not care what our front gardens look like, many of us are growing these on stakes and hanging over rails right out front. As much as I enjoy fruit trees, I really think that these should be grown more discretely in the sideyards, out of the way.
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They certainly are not very attractive and try to take over. Ours are round the back
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I grew my hybrid tea roses in back because I like the flowers, but not the plants that make the flowers. That is sort of how I feel about these, except that these are even bigger and more unsightly (for those of us who are bothered by such things.)
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I liked the descriptions…
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