Hebrew: פִּיטָאיָה, pitayah
Family: Cactaceae
Scientific מame: Selenicereus
Pitaya is a plant from the cactus family, indigenous to the Americas. The plant requires abundant water and protection from direct sunlight, as well as support to develop properly. In nature, it relies on stable trees, while in agricultural cultivation, it is supported by trellises.
The plant’s root system is very shallow, reaching only up to 40 cm (a depth typically found in annual plants). To obtain sufficient water, the plant develops aerial roots. Aerial roots are plant organs that function physiologically like roots for absorbing water and minerals, but they develop from the branches and are found in open air, unlike regular root systems that develop entirely from the root collar underground, where they lose their efficiency. Due to the pitaya plant’s aerial roots, it should be grown in humid areas with natural humidity (such as in various tropical regions). Alternatively, artificial humidity (like misting) can be created around it.
Due to its shallow root system, the plant cannot stabilize or anchor itself in the ground, which is one of the reasons it needs to be supported by trellises.
The plant is propagated through cuttings. The fruit develops side branches, and the fruits grow directly from the trunk or from the side branches.
In its native environment, the taste of pitaya is bland and often flavorless. Prof. Yossi Mizrachi from Ben-Gurion University succeeded in developing varieties with a unique taste, and these varieties are now sold worldwide.
Tree or vegetable: Due to the unique characteristics of the plant and its nourishment from aerial roots, posekim discussed whether it should be classified as a tree or perhaps as a fungus, which does not draw any nourishment from the ground and is not subject to the land-dependent mitzvot.
In practice, it is considered a tree vis-à-vis orlah and terumot and ma’aserot, and its blessing for its fruit is haeitz.
© כל הזכויות שמורות 2024 | הצהרת נגישות