Common Name: Climbing Harrisia

General Information

Harrisia bonplandii is a spiny, evergreen clambering and climbing cactus, often branched, with stems that can be up to 25 metres long and 5cm in diameter[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is also occasionally used as an ornamental[].
Harrisia bonplandii has a very wide range, is abundant and even though parts of its range are affected by threats, overall the population is stable. It also occurs in may protected areas thoughout its range and can grow in disturbed areas. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2017)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

S. America - northern Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil

Habitat

Found in a diversity of habitats such as xerophyllous forests, semi-deciduous forest, seasonally dry Neotropical forests, savannah and in disturbed areas; at elevations up to 1,000 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Climber
Height	15.00 m
Pollinators	Moths, Bats
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

The genus Harrisia is found in semi-arid tropical to subtropical regions of the Americas, growing in both the northern and southern hemispheres. There is usually a dry season at the cooler part of the year that can last up to 6 months. Annual precipitation is generally around 500 - 1,200mm. In the northernmost part of its range, in Florida, and in its southwestern range in Argentina and Bolivia, it experiences occasional freezing temperatures, and in cultivation light frosts (1-2 per year) experienced by species in Florida, seemed well-tolerated and not detrimental[].

The plant has escaped from cultivation and become naturalized in S. Africa and Hawaii, where it is designated an invasive plant[, ].
The flowers open of a night time and are sweetly scented to attract bats and moths[].

Edible Uses

Fruit[]. The white pulp is said to be very sweet[]. The red, globose fruit is free of spines and around 40 - 45mm in diameter[]. Harrisia fruits generally contain a sweet, edible, white pulp with hundreds to thousands of tiny seeds embedded in the pulp[]. The fruit usually tears open at the sides as it ripens to expose the inner pulp and seed[].

Flowers - cooked[]. Boiled[].

Roots - cooked[]. Boiled or roasted[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - usually germinates quickly and well without pre-treatment, though fresh seed may have a short dormancy of up to 8 weeks, Washing the seed in water prior to sowing can shorten germination time[].
Cuttings. Vegetative reproduction is frequent in nature when stems break and detach from the parent plant. The stems can proceed to produce roots along tissue nearest to the ground and produce a new plant[].

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