Yellow Dragon Fruit/Pitaya (Selenicereus megalanthus) - Seeds

The Yellow Dragon Fruit is the undisputed queen of flavor. Once you've tasted its sweet, refreshing, and aromatic white pulp with its delicate crunch, you'll never want another. And the best part: you can grow this exotic spectacle, complete with giant flowers, right in your living room or conservatory!

Scope of delivery: 20 seeds

Growth & Appearance

• Lifespan: Perennial, but not winter-hardy cactus.

• Growth height: An extremely vigorous climbing cactus! It forms meter-long shoots and absolutely needs a stable climbing aid.

• Habit: It grows in long, fleshy, usually triangular shoots covered with small thorns. In nature, it climbs as an epiphyte on large rainforest trees.

• Flower (A breathtaking spectacle!): It belongs to the "Queens of the Night". The gigantic, white flowers can grow up to 30 cm in size and emit an intoxicating fragrance.

Origin Its original home is the warm, humid tropical forests in northern South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru). Important: This is not a desert cactus, but a jungle cactus!

Fruit & Taste The oval fruits glow bright yellow when ripe. The juicy, white pulp is traversed by countless small, black seeds that wonderfully crunch nuttily when chewed. It is by far the sweetest of all dragon fruit varieties! Attention: The skin of the fruit (unlike the red variety) has small spines. However, when the fruit is fully ripe, these can be easily brushed off with a brush or a firm cloth.

Curiosities (The One-Night Romance) The blooming of this cactus is an event for which you should set your alarm. The huge flowers only open after dark and wither again the next morning! Since the South American bats and moths for pollination are absent in our living room, you have to become active yourself on this one night: Grab a soft hairbrush and gently brush over the stamens and the stigma in the center of the flower so that a delicious dragon fruit can develop later.

Location, Care & Gardener Tips (Jungle, not Desert!)

• Location: Very bright and warm, but young plants in particular should be protected from hours of direct midday sun behind glass (risk of scorching). In midsummer, it enjoys a sheltered spot on a balcony or terrace.

• Soil: No normal, rock-hard cactus soil! It needs a loose, airy, and slightly humus-rich substrate. A mixture of high-quality potting soil, perlite, and a little orchid bark is perfect. Water must drain immediately (waterlogging is deadly).

• Climbing aid: Give it a thick moss pole, a sturdy wooden trellis, or a bamboo frame to hold onto.

• Wintering: Since it is tropical, it must be brought indoors before the first cold nights in autumn. Overwinter in a bright place at at least 12 to 15 °C. Reduce watering heavily in winter, but never let it dry out completely.

Sowing instructions: Yellow Dragon Fruit (Selenicereus megalanthus)

Growing a cactus from seed is a fascinating experience. The seed first grows into a tiny, green plantlet with two small cotyledons, before the actual, spiny cactus shoot emerges between them!

When and how to sow?

• Sowing time: Possible indoors all year round (preferably in spring when the days get brighter).

• Substrate: Use loose, nutrient-poor seed compost and generously mix it with sand or perlite to ensure good drainage.

• Sowing depth (light germinator tendency): Spread the fine, black seeds on the moist soil, press lightly, and only minimally (at most 1-2 mm) sieve over with fine sand or soil.

• Germination conditions: Moisten well (preferably with a spray bottle so that the seeds are not washed away). Stretch a transparent film over the pot or place it in a mini-greenhouse to keep the humidity high. Ventilate briefly daily to prevent mold.

• Temperature & Duration: The seeds need to be cozy and warm! Place the pot in a very bright spot without direct midday sun at 25 to 28 °C (e.g., above a heater). Germination usually occurs after 2 to 4 weeks.

• Pricking out: When the tiny cacti start to prick each other in the pot and are about 2-3 cm high, you can carefully transplant them into their own small pots with well-draining substrate.