Pitahaya. Barbed-wire cactus. (Acanthocereus tetragonus)

Family: Cactaceae | Edibility: Edible (3/5)

Acanthocereus tetragonus is an evergreen Tree growing to 5 m (16ft) by 2 m (6ft) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Fruit, Shoots

Harvest Seasons: Spring, Early Summer, Late Summer, Fall

Flavor & Culinary Uses

sweet and edible. — Edible Portion: Fruit, Stems.; The bright red fruits are juicy, sweet and edible.; The ovoid to oblong fruits are 30 - 80mm long.; Young tender stems - cooked.

Habitat & North American Range

A cactus. It is a tropical plant. It needs bright light. It needs a temperature above 13°C. It grows in sandy soils in dense thickets, hammocks, bottomlands of coastal areas, at elevations from sea level to 10 metres. (Zone 10)