Pitahaya. Barbed-wire cactus.
Acanthocereus tetragonus

Family: Cactaceae

What it is like

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. It prefers dry soil and can tolerate drought.

Height (m): 5

Where it is found

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.

Northern S. America - Venezuela, north to Mexico, Florida, Texas and the West Indies.

Conservation Status: Status: Least Concern

Countries/locations it is found in

Antilles, Asia, Belize, Caribbean, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Martinique, Mexico*, Nicaragua, North America, Panama, South America, Trinidad, USA*, Venezuela, West Indies.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

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

Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 3

This cactus often forms thickets in coastal hammocks which can be impenetrable and spiny. Cultivated as an ornamental. The Fairy Castle Cactus, a miniature cultivar of this species, has many curved branches that resemble the turrets of a castle. Carbon Farming - Agroforestry Services: living fence.

Agroforestry Services: Living fence: Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

Agroforestry Services: Living fence: Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

How it is grown

Columnar, branching, slow growing cactus with spiny, five-sided, mid-green stems producing numerous smaller offsets.Climate: subtropical to tropical. Humidity: semi-arid to humid. A plant of the arid tropics and subtropics. Grows in humus-poor, sandy, well drained soils in a sunny position. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7.5. The flowers open overnight. Flowers are open from midnight until dawn, attracting hummingbird moths (Hemaris spp.). Carbon Farming - Cultivation: regional crop. Management: standard.

Propagating it: Seed

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Slow

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry

Things to keep in mind

Yes

Its other names

Local names

Barbwire acanthocereus, Kaktus segitiga, Pitaya, Chaco, Nun-tsutsuy, Organo, Pitahaya, Pitahaya morada, night-blooming cereus, barbed-wire cactus, sword-pear, dildo cactus, triangle cactus, and Órgano-alado de pitaya (Spanish).

Synonyms

Acanthocereus acutangulus (hort ex Pfeiffer) A. Berg.; Acanthocereus floridanus Small ex Br. & Rose; Acanthocereus pentagonus (L.)Br. & Rose; Acanthocereus pitajaya (DC.) Dugand ex Crozat; Acanthocereus princeps (Pfeiffer) Backenberg; Cactus pentagonus L; Cactus prismaticus Willd.; Cactus tetragonus L.; Cereus pentagonus (L.) Haw.; Cereus princeps Pfeiffer; Cereus tetragonus L.(Mill.); Cereus acutangulus hort. ex. Pfeiffer;