Q. Can argan trees thrive in Las
Vegas climate? I live in Summerlin and am thinking about planting a few because
they provide a nice shade canopy. Would rats be attracted to eat the fruit? I
don’t want to encourage a rat population.
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| Argan tree (Sideroxylon spinosum) growing in Morocco on the fringe of the Sahara Desert. |
Argan is a multi-purpose tree and each part of it is usable as a food or economic resource. The fruit can be eaten, oil can be extracted from the nuts and the tree’s wood can be used for fuel. (Wikipedia).
A. You have the right idea. The argan
tree comes from the fringes of the Sahara Desert so potentially it could be
used for lower amounts of applied water to a landscape. It has been reported to
take the heat of the desert because of its deep roots. This is what tree gurus
call a phreatophyte. Its water use is probably similar to other desert
phreatophytic trees such as mesquites and palo verde, native to the Mojave and
Sonoran Deserts respectively. Argon oil is popular right now. It’s pressed from
the seeds of its fruit.
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| Fruit from aragan tree |
https://www.feedipedia.org/node/54
This
tree might be hard to find in the size you want. The tree is native to parts of
Morocco, in the seasonally dry parts of sub-Saharan Africa. There has been some
interest in propagating this tree for use in Africa. Research needs to be done
before it’s available to the public elsewhere as trees. For instance, nothing
is available on the best method of propagation to be used, the soil
(microbiology), or selections preferred for landscapes.
Make
sure that trees with a similar water use are on the same irrigation line.
“Water lines” turn the water on and shut it off, all at the same time. The
depth that water penetrates is dictated by the number of irrigation emitters
used.
As
far as attraction to rats, I would have to guess. Rats are omnivorous which
means they will eat plants or animals. Like other animals they have food
preferences and choices. My guess is that argon fruit might be low on their
list of preferences. But if nothing is around for them to feed on, it should
attract them.