Fauna
Plant · GBIF taxon 10334868

Night-blooming Cereus

Selenicereus undatus

Also known as Dragon Fruit Plant, White-fleshed Pitahaya, Pitaya, Belle of the Night

Night-blooming Cereus is a sprawling, climbing cactus best known for its massive, fragrant white flowers that open for a single night to attract nocturnal pollinators. Large, fleshy stems feature three distinct winged ribs with small spiny areoles that allow the plant to scramble up trees and rock faces. Following successful pollination, the plant produces vibrant pinkish-red scaled fruit filled with speckled seed-bearing pulp.

Climbing CactusNight BloomingFragrant
Night-blooming Cereus reference1 / 7
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Photosynthetic
Predators
  • Ants
  • Birds
  • Rodents
ThreatsHabitat clearance, land conversion
HabitatsTropical dry forests, coastal thickets, rocky cliffs
Life span20–50 years
Classification
  1. OrderCaryophyllales
  2. FamilyCactaceae
  3. GenusSelenicereus
  4. SpeciesSelenicereus undatus
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Wild fruits have toxic look-alikes; never eat based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
  • Observing blooms: Plan nocturnal visits around midnight when the flowers are fully expanded and emitting strong scent.
  • Garden support: Provide a sturdy trellis or wall for heavy climbing stems to anchor onto using aerial roots.
Related species
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