Pitaya fruit is produced on segmented, vine-like crawling cacti. These plants have aerial roots and originally exist as epiphytes, the roots being used to attach themselves to supports. The aerial roots find nutrients in cracks where organic material concentrates. Hence, there is a positive response in growth to the amount of organic matter in the soil. However, high numbers of roots and buds have been obtained from culture in sand.
Cultural practices employ a trellis, or, traditionally, old tree stumps or living tree posts.
As the plants have a high tolerance to sulphurous gases, commercial production in Nicaragua is found on the slopes of the Mount Santiago volcano. In Nicaraguan plantings, propagation is done by stem cuttings, placed at 3 x 5 m spacings on living tree posts. Nutrients are applied by foliar spraying or through fertiliser spreading. The plants are claimed to be shade tolerant yet bleaching and death can occur at high levels of light intensity in Selenicereus megalanthus . Shading has been used in Israel.