Recommended Fruit Tree Varieties for the Mojave Desert

47 thoughts on “Recommended Fruit Tree Varieties for the Mojave Desert”

1. 

   Helen

   April 27, 2011 at 2:36 pm

   I live in Needles – any recommendations for citrus?

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2. 

   Xtremehort

   May 2, 2011 at 3:36 pm

   Most of your selection for citrus will be similar to Phoenix or Yuma which will be fine for citrus. You are nearly always going to be safe with the most cold tolerant of the citrus: kumquat (delicious fresh, just pop one in your mouth skin and all), Myers lemon, grapefruits and most lemons, oranges such as Mandarin. The most tender citrus may be a problem only if you are in a geographical low area like the bottom of a valley or a spot exposed to strong winter winds. If you pick a spot in your landscape that is protected from winds and has some reflected heat in the winter then you will be fine with any citrus including Bears lime and Wahsington navel oranges.

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3. 

   Steve Harpster

   June 3, 2011 at 4:31 am

   Hi Robert you have been a great help with my chioce of grape vines. thanks
   I have a youtube video of my garden here in vegas if you would like to see it.

   http://youtu.be/g3oznE64Z7E?hd=1

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4. 

   Anonymous

   June 8, 2011 at 5:03 am

   Nice looking garden, Steve. Keep up the great work! Of course nothing grows in the desert of Nevada.

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5. 

   Anonymous

   July 23, 2011 at 1:25 am

   Bob,

   In reguards to your 21 July 2011 article in the Review Journal, "Birds Eating My Fruit".

   For a 2 or 3 dollar investment and a trip to a party supply store the problem can be fixed with the purchase of a pin-wheel and a few packages of
   tinsel garland.

   Mount the pin-wheel in the center of the tree on a tall pole that extends beyond the height of the tree, drape some of the garland on the outer limbs,(like you were decorating a Christmas tree), cut some of the garland in 12-18 inch strips & tie it to the tips of the limbs.

   The motion of the foil pin-wheel and the garland along with the reflection it gives off, keeps the birds away. You can also use old throw-away aluminum pie tins, cut in pie shaped wedges, attach a piece of string & hang them on the tree limbs.

   This Has been keeping the birds away from my fruit trees for decades!

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6. 

   Xtremehort

   July 23, 2011 at 2:03 am

   I am glad to hear that! I hope you dont get our birds. We have tried hanging CD's, Christmas tinsel, fake owls and even an electronic bird caller (set on hawks, birds in distress, etc. Bird Gard Electronic Bird Repeller – Starlings, Robins, and Blue Jays, Covers 1 & 1/2 Acres, Model# 0033-1A) with no long term success. We have noticed this. If we do put any type of bird scaring device in the trees it will last for one to two weeks before they discover it will not harm them, they get comfortable with these devices and then they no longer work. Bird scaring devices work only if they are put in the trees one to two weeks prior to harvest. Our problem is that we harvest from May and into December with different fruits. We dont have a window of opportunity for them to work except the first couple of weeks in May. So if you have fruit that comes in pretty much all at once you may have a good shot at it in my opinion.

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7. 

   Xtremehort

   July 23, 2011 at 2:04 am

   Anybody else with some suggestions???

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8. 

   Anonymous

   October 3, 2011 at 1:21 am

   Love Dave Wilson trees and have used for years in SoCal with superior results. But, we are struggling a bit in 29 Palms either with ground heat or alkaline water, etc. The water from the well is hot, and as it goes through the drip system, it can get scalding hot. The trees do well until the July, August, heat and wind then struggle or die. Would be helpful with your choices with any thoughts on water usage, salt tolerance, heat,etc. But excellent work, and much appreciated.

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9. 

   John4

   October 3, 2011 at 1:21 am

   This is a great list!!! I live about ten miles east of 29 Palms. Does the list hold up for an area like mine?

   The orchard I've started is protected from the the winds from the north, west, and east. With the only exposure from the south that will eventually have a wind screen of palms or jojoba soon.

   Also, any rec's on watering techniques? Currently doing drip heads into the basins. Tried putting a 2.5-3' piece of 3/4" PVC down in the ground on the edge of the basins, but it was either too late (August) or didn't make much difference.

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10. 

    extremehort

    October 3, 2011 at 4:03 am

    From my visits to 29 Palms I see alot of similarities where you are and in Las Vegas. For instance our raw desert saline soils can reach over 100 mmhos with boron levels in some areas over 40 ppm. Our soils are corrosive with high levels of salts in particular sulfates and chlorides. Much of this is just good soil preparation, the use of soil ammendments such as composts (even though they can also be high in salts and even boron). But my experience has been that good plant materials such as Dave Wilson stuff, good soil preparation (dont listen to the research in this particular case because it has all been done on fairly decent soils) and organic mulches are the keys.

    Irrigate at night when your tubing is cooler. Plus our tubing is under the mulch. There is no problem with irrigating with drip at night.

    I do struggle with Hachiya persimmons with fruit drop in the spring even though I have tried shade cloth and even installed a second drip irrigation system just to give them some extra water without watering other trees. It has helped but I am discouraged with the small fruit set on these. The other persimmons are fine.

    As far as watering goes I give these trees 30 gallons at each irrigation. In midsummer this is three times a week when temperatures are consistently over 110F. Remember these trees have 6 to 8 inches of mulch over their roots and irrigated area. I will post more on how we irrigate the trees in a separate posting.

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11. 

    extremehort

    October 3, 2011 at 4:03 am

    My best estimate is that this list will hold up at elevations at about 1500 to 3500 feet or more in the Mojave Desert. I am not comfortable with this list at 500 feet or lower. Some of them should work fine at that lower elevation elevation but some of the more "delicate" fruit trees may struggle. I dont think the PVC pipe installed in the soil will do much for you unless you have some drainage problems. But even if you had drainage problems I would think planting them on a mound about 18 to 24 inches high and six to eight feel across would be better. About the only thing those verical pipes are good for is for checking to make sure the soil has drained before the next irrigation. But if you have those kinds of problems then I still think mounding is better.

    Our soils in the Las Vegas Valley are bad in most locations. We have salt levels in raw desert that can get to be more than 100 mmhos (4 mmhos is the generally agreed upon upper limit for an acceptable soil). Boron levels can reach over 40 ppm in some locations while a number of plants begin to struggle over 1 ppm and most plants die at over 5 ppm except some grasses and palms. We have corrosive salts as well with high levels of sulfates and chlorides in many of our soils. There is virtually no organic matter in the soils. So the use of LOTS of organic matter at the time of planting (dont listen to the research on this one as all of it is done on fairly decent soils)and the use of organic surface mulches. We use chipped trees that were going to the landfill, provided by First Choice Tree Service (I will give them lots of credit since they were the only arborist in Las Vegas who would work with us when the local arborists association would not work with us on this project. They feared the perpetuation of insects and diseases which is not true at all.

    As far as irrigation goes I will post something on our irrigation that we use and our irrigation schedule on this blog. It is too lengthy to post now and I have lots of pictures on this one.

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12. 

    Anonymous

    January 13, 2012 at 4:11 am

    Is the Orchard testing the new low-chill cherry varieties from DWN, Minnie Royal and Royal Lee? Thanks…

    Reply
13. 

    Xtremehort

    January 13, 2012 at 4:15 am

    No, we are not. After testing about 8 cultivars of sweet cherries with very poor results we have shifted to sour cherries. The low chill sweet cherries are hard to come by right now due to their popularity. I feel that there is much more you can do with sour cherries and may have a broader market for small scale producers here. Sweet cherries mostly are just eaten fresh, out of hand.

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14. 

    The Writers Blog -- Joanne Nakaya

    May 18, 2012 at 4:14 pm

    I have a pomegranate tree, about 6 years old, beautiful flowers, trimmed as a tree, healthy, about 7' tall, no fruit. Suggestions?

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15. 

    Xtremehort

    May 19, 2012 at 4:31 pm

    A six year old pomegranate that is only 7 feet tall is a very small tree for that age. There is dwarf pomegranate like "Nana" but it does not get that big and it does still produce fruit. Unless you have been pruning it to keep it small there is something wrong with its growth.Pomegranates require lots of water and prefer a well prepared hole when planting. Pomegranates are typically self fertile so a pollinator is not typically needed. Watch the flowers closely and see if fruits begin to form from the base of the flower and then fall off or if the fruits never form at all from the flowers. Careful observation will help us figure out this problem.

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16. 

    Amelia

    May 26, 2012 at 2:47 am

    I am moving to Henderson and am so excited to have a very large yard. I plan on planting several fruit trees this fall. This list is extremely helpful. Thank you! Just a few questions… Is the list of Top Choices in a particular order? Should I look for the first on the list or are they all equal? Also, are there any lemon or lime trees that would grow that you could recommend? Thanks again.

    Reply
17. 

    Xtremehort

    May 26, 2012 at 3:05 am

    This is a common mistake people make about my recommended list. The trees were ranked on a five point scale. To achieve a rating of five, the fruit from that tree had to be an OMG piece of fruit. What I mean is, when you tasted it you thought to yourself OMG I have never had fruit this good! I would say that in the entire orchard there are probably only a handful that ever get this rating. The next step down, a category four, is still better than you will get from the store. When you get into that three rating then you are getting into fruit that is about store quality. As an example, Anna apple doesn't rate as high as Pink Lady. Pink Lady is a show stopper, its an OMG piece of fruit when it is grown in our climate. But Anna is a very good apple when it is grown here.

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18. 

    Terry H. Mikel

    May 26, 2012 at 7:24 am

    The issue with lemons and limes is compared to all other citrus they are the most frost sensitive . . . .Even the more hardy citrus types like oranges and grapefruits will suffer some winter problems in your neck of the woods . .

    Reply
19. 

    jmpgfoto

    August 31, 2012 at 1:29 pm

    I've found that flash tape works very well in keeping the birds away from my jujube trees. Have to replace it about every summer but it's cheap.

    Reply
20. 

    jmpgfoto

    September 1, 2012 at 10:16 am

    I put up flash tape in the spring and it keeps the birds out of my jujube trees all year. Flash tape available from Roger Meyer at [email protected],

    Reply
21. 

    Unknown

    November 8, 2012 at 3:04 am

    Wolfberry-Goji Berry. The world's most nutrious fruits. Desert natives thrive in the worst soils and hottest spots. Goji's are mongolian-Chinese but the natives are also highly nutrious. Slow growing shrubs that mostly fruit in spring, some in autumn. True super food!

    Reply
22. 

    Lveleanor

    October 4, 2015 at 6:32 am

    Any suggestions on where to find trees listed on the Trees for Tommorow list if not in local nurseries? I'm looking for twisted acacia and texas olive for small/medium landscape trees. Thank you!

    Reply
23. 

    The X Plex

    May 14, 2016 at 3:29 am

    I am looking for something that grows fast and doesn't require watering to plant between my house and the road to clear up noise pollution.

    Reply
24. 

    Xtremehort

    May 14, 2016 at 3:50 am

    My experience is that plants are not all that good for noise pollution. Solid structures like walls are better or mounds of dirt.

    Reply
25. 

    Danny

    November 2, 2016 at 12:18 pm

    Hello, looking into becoming more self suffient. I live in hesperia ca, the high desert region of the Mohave desert. It gets really cold in the winter and extremely hot during the summer. Any recommended trees and fruits? Also curious as to what native fruits/ vegatbles that grow here that can handle the normal climates? That's for the information on this page though, very informative and inspiring

    Reply
26. 

    claus nielsen

    November 3, 2016 at 1:52 am

    So Fuji apple trees would do good in Las Vegas?

    Reply
27. 

    Danny

    November 21, 2016 at 1:10 am

    Hello,
    I live in hesperia ca, the high desert region of the Mojave desert . It gets really cold during the winter and really hot during the summer. Any recommendations? Also any intel on native trees/fruits/vegetables that can with stand and are use to this radical climate?

    Reply
28. 

    Unknown

    April 27, 2017 at 10:42 pm

    Do you have an updated list to this one, any Tropical trees being evaluated?

    Reply
29. 

    Xtremehort

    April 29, 2017 at 10:59 pm

    There is no updated fruit list.I know of at least two individuals who are making recommendations regarding fruit trees after one year of production. I don't do that. I need at least three years and five years is preferable. You can have some unusual weather conditions during an odd year and then tell people it's a good variety. As you watch it over a longer period of time you may find out it is not as reliable as you thought. This was the case with flavor supreme pluot, many of the sweet cherries and Hachiya persimmon. When someone is making a recommendation of any variety, whether it is fruit trees or vegetables, you should be asking the questions 1. How many years did you try it? And 2. How many locations in the area has it been tried.

    Reply
30. 

    Xtremehort

    April 29, 2017 at 11:11 pm

    I was waiting for someone else to respond about growing Fuji apples in the Mojave Desert but no one did. I will take a stab at it. In my opinion, the Mojave desert climate is not a terribly good one for apples. There are a few like Pink Lady that do pretty well. I consider Fuji to be so-so but have not done some extensive work with that variety but the fruit from it doesn't wow me. It will grow and it will produce and most varieties of Fuji will produce here and don't need a pollenizer.They require around 500 hours of chilling temperatures during the winter but I have not found that a problem in the Las Vegas Valley which usually gets less than.

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31. 

    Xtremehort

    May 4, 2017 at 1:29 am

    I know this is an old post but I want to respond to this. Cherries are very spotty in their production in the Las Vegas Valley. In some places, backyards, they are prolific and produce very well. In other places they don't produce anything year after year. So I consider them to be a real Las Vegas crapshoot. There are some people pushing some of the low chill cherries and had luck with it the first year but nothing to compare it against such as other cherries. Only time will tell. I don't like to recommend anything with at least three years worth of production and preferably five years worth of production. I just installed a bunch more cherries, sweet and sour including the low chill varieties, and an orchard in downtown Las Vegas near Martin Luther King and Bonanza. The owners were willing to experiment. It will take a few years to find out.

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32. 

    Bryan

    May 23, 2017 at 1:43 am

    This is really great information!! Thank you so much for doing this, and it gives me a bit more hope about expanding my home orchard in Phoenix. How many chill hours are you getting where you are located?
    Specifically related to Pluots, you are recommending some with some pretty high chill hours, such as the Flavor Supreme which is listed on DWN as 700-800 chill hours. But as you mentioned above that may have a lot to do wit location and micro climate.

    Also for Apples, Pink Lady is a pretty late ripener, and Ive heard that late harvest dont do as well in the extreme heat of Phoenix, something similar to where you live. But again, Im hoping the placing them is certain cooler places within my backyard and trying to create a micro climate that is a bit more forgiving to these fruits could have a large impact as well.

    Would love to hear you take on the points point. Thanks again for putting some much time into this.

    Reply
33. 

    Xtremehort

    May 23, 2017 at 2:06 am

    Thank you for appreciating the hundreds of hours that it took over a period of one and a half decades to put this list together. I will try to address each of your questions separately. Most of the trees used were donations by Dave a Wilson Nursery, Tom Spellman in particular, who worked with us since 1996. This orchard is located in North Las Vegas Nevada at right about 2000 foot elevation. The orchard is exposed to the North West by cold winter winds which helps explain why citrus was not included on this list even though it was tried. Las Vegas is not citrus country but many people further south in the Valley have had success with some citrus and even limes and blood orange in warm microclimates. Our chilling hours are somewhere between 300 to 400 hours per year. You are exactly right. If you take chilling hours literally many of the recommended trees should not produce in this climate yet they have for over 15, now going on 20, years. Some of these so-called high chilling hours tree fruits have shown no sign of a lack in chilling hours. Tom Spellman was the first person to bring this idea to light for me. It challenges many preconceived ideas about chilling hours and there has been much speculation and even disbelief in this information. Personally, I believe that chilling hours are more important in some types of fruit and even some varieties than others. Is chilling hours important? Yes, definitely. Have we followed chilling hour recommendations to literally? Yes, definitely.

    Too many, Phoenix and Las Vegas have similar climates if you don't live in either of these locations. You and I both know that as far from the truth! Phoenix is a totally different animal from Las Vegas but I believe there is a wide variation in how plants view this difference. I believe most apples are more prone to chilling hours than peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums and their crosses.

    I don't know all pink lady apple performs in Phoenix but it is an outstanding Apple in the Las Vegas area. Like pomegranates, this particular Apple seems to have better flavor quality as temperatures drop. In our harsh desert climate it seems to develop a thicker, tougher skin but the flavor quality of the "meat" is superior. It is worth giving a try in Phoenix, Yuma, Parker, Bullhead or Lake Havasu.I think planting apples in areas of the landscape that avoid the late afternoon sun is a good idea. Contrary to some information out there, if your soil has lower amounts of organics in it, amend it with compost at the time of planting. I also believe you will see huge benefits if the soil is covered with wood chip mulch under its canopy to a depth of at least 4 inches. Keep the mulch away from the trunk for the first five years of the trees life to avoid collar rot. If rabbits are problems, protect the tree from rabbit damage with 1 inch hexagon with chicken wire for the first five years as well.

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34. 

    Bryan

    June 3, 2017 at 1:21 am

    Cant thank you enough for the response. It's really hard to find good information that is applicable to the hot desert climate, and while our climates (as you said) have the subtle but important differences, this is by far the most comprehensive data set Ive seen for the desert.

    Ive filled the holes for my current trees with 50% compost and 50% native dirt, and those (planted 3 years ago) are doing great. This is the first year where Im getting any significant amount of fruit, and the flavors are very good so far. I am going to take your advice and build up the mulch to at least 4 inches as Ive had probably 1-2 tops and the water retention leaves something to be desired.

    You've inspired me to take a more scientific approach to my own data collection and hope I can provide something of value for those in the Phoenix area in a decade or 2.

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35. 

    Xtremehort

    June 3, 2017 at 1:28 am

    I hope that you will take a detailed approach to what you are doing in Phoenix. I hope that this will include some record-keeping and posting your results on some sort of social media so that others can benefit from your successes and failures. Don't wait for 10 years. Start doing it now. If I can help promote what you are trying to do for your part of the Southwest I will do whatever I can.

    This post will be seen by others. This goes for others that are out there as well. Horticulture information is loaded from the wet climates and pretty much ignores the hot desert. Those horticulturists growing in wet climates are in for a shock when they start growing in the hot desert anywhere in the world. I run into a number of these horticulturists and most of them are lost until they get their "desert legs". This type of information helps a lot. The scientific principles do not change but how they are applied do.

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36. 

    Xtremehort

    August 12, 2017 at 2:31 am

    As a general rule I do not recommend growing citrus in the Las Vegas Valley. Is citrus being grown in the Las Vegas Valley? Yes it is. So why don't I recommend growing citrus there? Because I am making a blanket recommendation for the entire Valley. The general climate of the Las Vegas Valley is too cold during the winter to support a general recommendation to grow citrus there. However, there are nooks and crannies in people's backyards that can grow some of the more tender citrus to winter freezing temperatures. There are people living in the Las Vegas Valley growing limes and blood oranges, some of the most winter tender citrus.If you can find or create a microclimate in your landscape that is protected from cold, winter winds and can generate some warmer nighttime temperatures then you have a good chance that citrus will survive. Start with some small citrus trees that you like which are known to be more tolerant of winter temperatures. Protect the trunk from freezing temperatures beginning the first week of December and until February 1.

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37. 

    NotSoGreenThumb

    August 13, 2017 at 11:30 am

    Hello,
    This list is amazing! Thank you! I was so excited when I found this list. I live in the Las Vegas valley. Centennial Hills area. I was thinking about planting a pomegranate, peach, and also possibly a Eureka lemon or a Valencia Orange. But like another reader, I notice there are no lemon/ orange varieties listed, and you mention in an another comment that Las Vegas isn't citrus country. Another person mentioned this is because citrus is not as frost hardy. I was just curious if that is indeed the case? I'm a total noob at this, clearly. If I was able to provide some sort of wind block from the winter winds, and maybe some sort of frost protection would lemons/ oranges have a chance? Or are they just generally doomed? The nurseries sell them, but I didn't want to go spend money on a tree that would die in a season. LOL.

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38. 

    At Home With Tim

    October 13, 2017 at 9:22 am

    Brian, many of us are often caught up in the notion that Phoenix and Las Vegas = same-same, but just a look at the native desert around each will help us realize that it's not. Phoenix has much more favorable conditions for many citrus and fruit varieties than we do in Vegas. I am most envious of growers success with Mango's in Phoenix! The Phoenix Fruit Growers Facebook page is a wealth of information for your area with proven success. https://www.facebook.com/groups/PhxFruitGrowers/?ref=bookmarks

    Reply
39. 

    gonegagaforgeese

    November 3, 2017 at 9:13 am

    Great stuff! Thank's so much. I'm moving to Twentynine Palms soon and this very helpful, as my retirement mission is to grow fruit trees. It's rare to see a forum like this still active after 6 years. Kudos.

    Reply
40. 

    Xtremehort

    November 3, 2017 at 9:16 am

    Stay in touch. I know a few active gardeners in the 29 Palms area and the climate is similar. I think this blog will help you alot particularly if people keep commenting.

    Reply
41. 

    Unknown

    November 17, 2017 at 10:59 pm

    We recently moved here to Pahrump NV and live in the very western part of our valley…just a couple of miles from the CA. border. What recommendations would you give for fruit bearing plants other than pomegranate and fig? We get some cold nights in Jan and Feb, TIA

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42. 

    Xtremehort

    November 18, 2017 at 12:26 pm

    For sure apples and pears, most of the plums will be fine. Take a look at the possibility of sweet and tart cherries and apricots. You should relate closely to…gardeningwise…. Kingman, AZ and St. George, UT. Remember microclimates and cold air drainage. There will be colder areas and warmer areas in the valley due to wind and cold air drainage. Cold air is like water…it drains to low spots. Consider windbreaks to protect the gardening areas and NOT planting tall trees along the perimeter of the property as so many people hsve done out there. Its a waste of water.

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43. 

    Jenny D.

    May 20, 2018 at 6:03 pm

    Wondering if you have any recommendations for varieties (and where to buy) of pineapple guava that will fruit in the Las Vegas valley. Thanks for such a helpful list!

    Reply
44. 

    Xtremehort

    May 20, 2018 at 6:22 pm

    I have never grown pineapple guava production of its fruit. There are small amounts of commercial production but they certainly are not a main crop. I would direct you to people who have tried them under arid Or desert environments.They can tolerate desert soils and the desert environment but it's not the best place for them. With that in mind, avoid planting them in South or West exposures with intense sunlight and heat. They will grow best with a break from the afternoon sun and heat such as the East side of a wall or home. Make sure you amend the soil with compost at the time of planting if your soil is very difficult to manage.

    http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/feijoa.html

    http://www.phgmag.com/garden/desert/201402/growing-fruit/

    Remember you must have two different varieties close by. If they are the same they will not make fruit. It is called self incompatible. Two varieties to look at closely are Coolidge and Nazemetz reported to produce fruit in the Phoenix area.

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45. 

    Anonymous

    August 22, 2018 at 3:28 am

    where can I buy flavor delight apricot tree in las vegas ? I live in Summerlin

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46. 

    Anonymous

    August 22, 2018 at 3:28 am

    where in Las vegas can I buy flavor Delight apricot tree ? I am in Summerlin

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47. 

    Xtremehort

    August 22, 2018 at 12:39 pm

    Nurseries only sell what they can get. If a certain variety is in short supply one year they cant get it. Best bet is to buy online from places like Bay Laurel or Grow Organic.

    Reply