Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, South Africa

Common name: Dragon fruit

Family: Cactaceae (Cactus)

Synonym: Cereus undatus

Distribution: Central America

IUCN Red list: Data deficient

Black list: Listed NEMBA Category 2 Invasive - May only be grown with a permit.

Comments: There is a locally famous cactus hedge on a lava rock wall of the Punahou School in Honolulu, the hedge of Kapunahou. In 1836, Mrs. Bingham planted the hedge of Hylocereus undatus, the famed cactus known in Hawaii as panini o kapunahou. Its exotic blossoms still bloom during the closing summer months on the Punahou walls. The hedge is on two sides of the school and about three hundred meters long. From July to as late as October the hedge blooms and several times there is a wall of white flowers hundreds of yards long. Supposedly all the H. undatus in Hawaii came from the wall of Punahou School. People used to come in the evenings from all over the island to see them blooming and "borrow" some cuttings so that now they have this species all over the islands.