I found this dragon fruit plant growing on the branches of a rain tree. It is flowering and fruiting. How is this possible? Did birds deposit seeds on the branches?

Leong Tuck Sum

The dragon fruit seeds could have been brought to the site by birds which had consumed the fruit.

Dragon fruit plants are epiphytic cacti and produce aerial roots that can help them attach to porous surfaces like tree bark. They have been observed to produce fruit on mature plants with arching stems.

What are these plants? How do I care for and propagate them? Also, what are the lighter green features on the taller plant?

Ng Kim Liang

The plant on the left is commonly known as the Ming Aralia (Polyscias fruticosa). It is a slow-growing plant that needs at least four hours of filtered sunlight in a high-rise setting to grow well.

It can be adapted to grow outdoors under direct sunlight, and propagated via stem cuttings. Trim it if it gets too tall.

The plant on the right is the Ming Asparagus Fern (Asparagus retrofractus). It has the same growth requirements as the Ming Aralia. It has spines, so be careful when handlin...