Dragon Fruit stems are scandent (climbing habit), creeping, sprawling or clambering, and branch profusely. There can be 4-7 of them, between 5 and 10 m or longer, with joints from 30–120 cm or longer, and 10–12 cm thick; with generally three ribs; margins are corneous (horn-like) with age, and undulate. The fruit is oblong to oval, to 6–12 cm long, 4–9 cm thick, red with large bracteoles, with white pulp and are edible; seeds are black. Dragon Fruit or Pitaya grows best in uniformly distributed rainfall throughout the year. It prefers free draining soil with sandy to clay loam types, 5.3 to 6.7 pH and high organic matter. However, Pitaya is also grown successfully in sandy soils. Pitaya is shallow rooted with most roots concentrated on top 15- 30 cm soil depth.
India gets a taste of exotic dragon fruit. This fruit of a vine-like cactus has white flesh peppered with tiny edible black seeds. Its popularity is growing beyond metros to other cities, particularly in south India. The fruit was selling for about US$10 per kg, according to, director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Vietnamese dragon fruit is selling well in Chinese and Vietnamese in the US, said Mr Dat, who has been on a fact-finding trip in the country. As a whole there is a good scope for new entrepreneur to invest in this business.