Hylocereus costaricensis, the Costa Rican pitahaya or Costa Rica nightblooming cactus, is a cactus species native to Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The species is grown commercially for its pitahaya fruit, but is also an impressive ornamental vine.
Hylocereus costaricensis is epiphytic cactus endemic to Mexico with long shoots that produce very large, yellowish white flowers followed by large, pink fruits with watery red flesh, commonly known and marketed as Red Pitaya or Red Dragon Fruit. The fruits are popular mainly because of their strange shape and color. They are pleasant and mildly sweet but rather bland. The species is native to Costa Rica and Nicaragua, although its natural range is hard to determine because it has been cultivated so widely. It occurs in dry or deciduous coastal forests, at elevations of 0–1,400 m (0–4,593 ft) above sea level. It is named after Costa Rica where it was first discovered
