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[SoulGrower]

The fruit that is 

I was hoping i could get some help building a list of cactus with edible fruits, hopefully with some rating on taste.

I'll start the list off with the obvious

Hylocereus sp (aka Dragonfruit or Pitaya)
     -imo, these are pretty bland.  I do have a red flesh variety known as Hailey's comet that is decent.
     -H. megalanthus (yellow skin) supposed to be the best tasting but I haven't found one yet

Optunia sp (aka Prickly Pear)
     -I don't know what species it is that I come across when hiking florida, but when I find one fruiting, it's always a welcome snack.  The flesh of the cactus is also edible but not much flavor.

1 Like ueihtam likes this.

[Chicsa]

You're forgetting Peruvian Apple, Cereus Peruvianus!

Kinda bland, but more flavorfull then a dragonfruit. I bet it would be good frozen

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[Roze]

This ones are listed as edible although they bear no fruit:


Genus Harrisia (of Florida and the Caribbean), the "Prickly Apples"

Cereus repandus - ( California and Florida)

Myrtillocactus geometrizans ("garambulos", taste like less-acid cranberries)

Genus Stenocereus (quite sweet, but prone to ferment)

Genus Mammillaria ("chilitos" as they look like tiny red chili peppers)


 Optunia leaves are great as cough syrup 

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[SoulGrower]

^^ooohh.  Some of those sound fun 

...I did forget about peruvian apple.  Here's a great link I found that compares dragonfruit to peruvian apple Taste Comparison: Dragon Fruit vs Peruvian Apple Cactus

Also found
Melocactus (aka Turk's cap cactus)
     -crazy strange flower on this one!  Tiny fruits that are said to be comparable to dragonfruit

Stenocereus gummosus
     -supposed to be a high quality tasting fruit

Cylindropuntia arbuscula
     -tiny but tasty fruits

Eulychnia acida
     -good mineral and vitamin content.  Selectively bred since 2010

[SoulGrower]

Hmm.. so I'm curious.  Do montrose, crest, cristata type forms have any impact on the fruit?  Size, shape, consistency, frequency?  My instinct says that they would have smaller fruits.  But I have zero experience with fruiting cactus..

[happyconcacti]

Nopales tacos are really good. Some kind of small spine opuntia pad. They're sold in the Mexican markets here where I am. Quite good.

Another one, Corryocactus brevistylus (available from sacredsucculents) supposedly has fruit that taste like lemons.

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[FlamingBabies]

I'd have to say lophs have the best tasting fruit (of cacti I've had so far). Sweeter and tastier than dragonfruit, though not very filling

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