Dragon fruit randomly grows on 50-year-old tree in AMK car park, amazes residents

Dragon fruit grows on 50-year-old tree in Ang Mo Kio carpark

Residents in Ang Mo Kio were left stunned after discovering several ripe dragon fruits growing from a towering 50-year-old tree in a car park.

Dragon fruit vines spotted on old tree at heavy vehicle car park

The incredible occurrence came to light when a reader tipped off Shin Min Daily News about the rare sight at a heavy vehicle car park along Ang Mo Kio Street 32.

The tipster, Mr Wang (transliterated), 62, a lorry driver, spotted bright red dragon fruits ripening on a large old tree and quickly snapped photos of the astonishing phenomenon.

When reporters visited the site, they found multiple trees over 10 metres tall.

Surprisingly, two of them had dragon fruit vines growing from their trunks — one of which had three visible fruits dangling from the plant. One fruit was fully ripened, its skin a deep, vibrant red, while the other two were still maturing.

Some of the vines stretched nearly all the way to the ground, creating a peculiar and eye-catching scene.

Dragon fruit vines only appeared recently

“These dragon fruit trees have been growing for over three years, but I had never seen any fruit before,” he said. “Seeing them now feels quite novel.”

Mr Zhang (surname transliterated), 40, said discarded dragon fruits at a nearby fruit shop, pecked by birds whose droppings fell on the trees, likely helped the seeds to sprout.

“I had noticed the dragon fruit trees before, but I didn’t expect them to bloom and bear fruit.”

Fruit farmer says dragon fruit on tree is rare

Cai Changyao (name transliterated), 40, a Malaysian dragon fruit farmer, said dragon fruits grow if tree branches hold enough dead leaves and debris to provide nutrients.

Plants with shallow root systems can cling to other objects to grow, such as cement pillars, metal frames, or even trees.

Mr Cai revealed that some people even use softer materials like cotton or hydroponics to grow dragon fruit, so it’s not surprising to see them growing on old trees.

He said cultivated dragon fruit flowers within a year, but wild ones take years due to low sunlight and potassium deficiency.

“Dragon fruit prefers strong light; if there isn’t enough light, the stems will keep growing, delaying fruiting. Still, it’s very rare for several dragon fruits to grow on a tree.”

Also read: 5-year-old boy in Thailand dies after choking on dragonfruit, deceased had medical issues

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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News.