Is the dragon bone flower (dragon fruit cactus) toxic, and how much does one pot cost?
The dragon bone flower is a climbing plant of the order Caryophyllales, family Cactaceae. It can be grown in gardens, in pots, or used as a hedge plant. Its flowers are large and fragrant and can be eaten as a vegetable, and its fruit is called dragon fruit, which can be eaten fresh. So, is the dragon bone flower toxic? How much does one pot cost?
1. Is the dragon bone flower toxic?
The dragon bone flower is toxic.
1. The scientific name of the dragon bone flower is Hylocereus undatus (night-blooming cereus), and its other names include (Bawang bian), (Bawang hua), (Jian hua), (Sanjiao huowang), (Sanleng zhu), (Sanleng jian), and so on. It is a climbing succulent shrub, 3-15 m long, with numerous branches, dark green to pale blue-green, and bearing hard spines. Its flowering period is from July to December, with flowers opening at night. The flowers are funnel-shaped, with yellow-white filaments, pale yellow anthers, and a yellow-white style. The berry is red with white flesh.
2. The sap of the dragon bone flower contains toxins. When its branches and leaves are broken, a milky white sap flows out. If it gets on your hands, it can cause skin allergies, so you must wash your hands immediately. Do not let the sap get into your eyes, or it will cause a burning pain, and in severe cases, vision loss. It also must not be put into the mouth, or numbness in the mouth will occur. Its fleshy stems have sharp spines, and you can easily be pricked if you are not careful, so take care.
3. Although the dragon bone flower is toxic, it can purify the air. Its leaves are thick and large and can absorb harmful gases such as formaldehyde and benzene from the air. It is also a fairly good plant for warding off evil, as its leaves are upright like sharp swords and bear sharp spines, and people believe it can dispel evil energy. It is also a universal rootstock and can be grafted with many plants, thus forming all kinds of strangely shaped trees.
4. Although the dragon bone flower is toxic, its stem has the effects of relaxing muscles and activating collaterals and of detoxifying. For external use, it can treat fractures, mumps, sores and swellings, and so on. Its flowers have the effects of clearing heat, moistening the lungs, and relieving cough, and can assist in treating pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchitis, and lymphatic tuberculosis. Its fruit has the effects of expelling toxins and protecting the stomach, whitening and reducing weight, preventing anemia, and preventing vascular sclerosis, among others.
2. How much does one pot of dragon bone flower cost?
There is no uniform standard for the price of the dragon bone flower. Prices differ according to origin, specifications, and market, with some sold at high prices of more than 100 yuan per pot and some sold cheaply at only ten or twenty yuan per pot. The specific price is subject to the local market price. According to information provided by Alibaba, the prices of the dragon bone flower are as follows:
1. Shuyang Huamanju Gardening Center: green dragon bone with multiple branches (30-40 cm in height) and purple dragon bone with multiple branches (about 30-40 cm in height) are both priced at 20.08 yuan/pot; Suqian Jusen Trading Co., Ltd.: purple dragon bone and green dragon bone are both priced at 18.90 yuan/pot.
2. Shenzhen Longgang District Dayuan Zijing Trading Firm: green dragon bone and purple dragon bone with multiple branches without pot are priced at 46.60 yuan; green dragon bone and purple dragon bone with multiple branches in a pot are 59.80 yuan.
3. Shenzhen Longgang District Zhaoying E-commerce Firm: red dragon bone and green dragon bone, one pot without pot, are priced at 46.61 yuan/piece; large red and large green dragon bone are 77.81 yuan/piece; one red and one green pair is 68.25 yuan/piece; one pair of large red and green dragon bone is 126.75 yuan/piece.
Summary: The dragon bone flower is toxic. When its branches and leaves are broken, a milky white sap flows out. If it gets on your hands, it can cause skin allergies; if it gets into your eyes, it will cause burning pain; and if it is put into your mouth, numbness in the mouth will occur. Therefore, take care: if it gets on your hands, wash them immediately; do not let it get into your eyes; do not put it into your mouth; and also be careful not to be pricked by the spines. The price of the dragon bone flower varies from expensive to cheap, with expensive ones at more than 100 yuan per pot and cheap ones at ten or twenty yuan per pot. The specific price should still be checked in the local market.