Dragon Fruit Plants

These are photos of my seed grown dragon fruit cactus (Hylocereus). I have forgotten how many years old they are, but they have never bloomed. Reading online gave the info that the plants will probably not bloom till they reach a weight of  10 pounds. I believe mine weigh that much or more, but I have not actually weighed them.They certainly have long arms and very long roots growing from these. I bet that when  these "arms" eventually reach the ground, they will root and form new plants that will make a thicket in the back of my greenhouse. They are already a problem to navigate around as they have many small cactus spines.They flower at night and last only one evening. I guess the worst thing would be for one to flower and not notice it and miss the event of many years growing. (I frequently miss my night blooming cereus flowers- I simply forget to go out to see them.) These cactus are not self fertile so it would be necessary to have 2 plants blooming the same evening, to observe and be on hand, and to assist in the pollination of the flowers. Then there would be a chance for fruit.

Night Blooming Cereus

 

My night blooming cereus(s) (I have 4 or 5) had 4 blooms one night and 4 the next also. The second night I forgot to look at them and was sitting on the porch when I smelled their wonderful fragrance.This picture was made of the first night's bloom. I think this may be a nymph cricket on the bloom. These flowers cannot be open long before all sorts of critters are attracted to them, but none of the moths that pollinate them in their native habitat in South and Central America and the Caribbean. The next morning they hang limp and mushy after one night of glory.

Here is an overnight time lapsed picture series (40 sec)that shows how the flower changes through the evening.