Water-wise dragon fruit an up-and-coming crop ‘Cactus with dreadlocks’
Story by Cyndee Fontana-Ott ∞ Photos by David Poller
Kevin Brixey wasn’t blown away by his first taste of dragon fruit. “It was quite bland and ordinary,” says the Australia native turned Southern California grower who, a few years ago, was searching for a water-efficient crop to spark a passion. Though it wasn’t love at first bite, he went on to sample locally grown red and fuchsia varieties—and a passion was born. Today he and his wife, Betsy, cultivate dragon fruit or pitahaya (or pitaya), a showy climbing cactus that produces scaly fruit often known for a watermelon-like sweetness and powerhouse health benefits. The couple tends about 1,400 plants and a half-dozen or so different commercial varieties in a part of San Diego County leaning more toward boutique wineries and avocados. On Dragon Delights farm in Ramona, the Brixeys devote about 2 of 16 acres to dragon fruit. They sell most of the all-organic harvest to Whole Foods in the San Diego area and also host visitors on many weekends during the growing season. “It brings me a lot of satisfaction to see people learn something new,” says Kevin, his words lightly bathed in an Australian accent. “It was only a few years ago I had no idea what dragon fruit was—in fact, I was skeptical. And here I am now growing it.”
Betsy and Kevin Brixey grow the climbing cactus that produces dragon fruit, named for its scaly appearance. They tend about 1,400 plants and a half-dozen commercial varieties on their San Diego County farm.
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