Native to Central America dragonfruit or pitaya has been documented in Aztec literature since the 13th.century. Pitaya is commercially grown in Colombia, Nicaragua and Vietnam. Brought in by the French, the dragonfruit is called thang loy in Vietnamese and cultivated extensively in Vietnam where the average yield range from 20-25 tonnes per hectare.

The plant requires moderate rainfall of 600-1300mm and can tolerate a maximum temperature of 38-40 degree Celsius. Excessive rain leads to flower drop and fruit rot. Shading is required in conditions of extreme light intensity as in the Negev region of Israel especially for species known to be vulnerable to bleaching.

In Malaysia, commercial cultivation of dragonfruit was initiated in Sitiawan, Kuala Pilah and Johor as early as 1999. A warm climate cactus, dragonfruit can be cultivated in semi arid areas and has promising prospect as a plantation crop on account of its potential for industrial processing into juice, flavorings and wine as well as its medicinal properties.