Author Topic: Fruit plants of hot arid temperate and dry subtropical climates.  (Read 6069 times)

Taparyal

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I created this theme to add intresting fruit and vegetable plants from desert regions that have both very high and low temperatures durin the year.
We posted allready verious informations, but let's concentrate more specifically on this theme.
i know various intresting species from Asia, and will put some inforamtion here when I have time.
Further I'd like to learn more about for example the North American species (like various wild Prunus species).

EvilFruit

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Re: Fruit plants of hot arid temperate and dry subtropical climates.
« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2014, 12:13:00 PM »
Hi,

You are from Iran ?.
Moh'd

MangoFang

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Re: Fruit plants of hot arid temperate and dry subtropical climates.
« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2014, 01:34:16 PM »
Taparyal - well I live in the desert in the southwestern part of the U.S.
I grow Papayas and mangoes mainly and successfully.  Trying macadamia.
Low Chill peaches do well, apples not so much, pears no success at all.
Obviously grapefruit love it here, oranges are OK, limes and lemons, OK...


Gary

huertasurbanas

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Re: Fruit plants of hot arid temperate and dry subtropical climates.
« Reply #3 on: July 08, 2014, 02:15:16 PM »
I created this theme to add intresting fruit and vegetable plants from desert regions that have both very high and low temperatures durin the year.
We posted allready verious informations, but let's concentrate more specifically on this theme.
i know various intresting species from Asia, and will put some inforamtion here when I have time.
Further I'd like to learn more about for example the North American species (like various wild Prunus species).

Hi, what is very hight and very low temperatures? how much? grewia tenax is semidesert

mangomaniac2

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Re: Fruit plants of hot arid temperate and dry subtropical climates.
« Reply #4 on: July 08, 2014, 03:19:24 PM »
MangoFang, if you try the Pink Lady (aka cripps pink) and Red Lady (AKA sundowner) are from Australia and do really well here in phoenix. They both grow very vigorously without any concerns with temps of 110 degrees.

Taparyal

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Re: Fruit plants of hot arid temperate and dry subtropical climates.
« Reply #5 on: July 08, 2014, 04:22:35 PM »
Valid question - on the temperatures. I meant conditions below 0°C like -25°cC and conditions above 0°C like over 40°C.

For dry desert climates and also salty soils.


I would start with Calligonum.
Calligonum is maybe not the dream fruiting plant, but is actually a gream if You consider that it can be used to fix sand, that it survives hard frosts and grows in an extreme desert enviroment.
I don't have unfortunately pictures of Calligonum species, except a winter pic of Calligonum aphyllum.
Calligonum sp. fruits are generally edible when still not completely ripe (later they become paper like and won't be chewable).
Now the value does depend a bit on the fruit form.
Some produce that have a more palatable form, like Calligonum junceum. Others have mpore complex structure, like Calligonum caput medusae
Others look like the typical fruit of Polygonaceae.
I tried only C.aphyllum - it is mildly sour between Rhubard and apple and is a nice refreshing fruit.
Calligonum sp. generally are adapted to survive without much care on the hardest conditions and are used as pioneer plants for fixing sand.
the appearance depends on the species but also region where it grows. Some form small trees, others are shrubs.

It is for sure not the fruit of the dream -but is rich in vitamins and a nice refreshing fruit for regions with hard climatic conditions



I am not from Iran, but Armenia - we are neighbours :D

mangomike

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Re: Fruit plants of hot arid temperate and dry subtropical climates.
« Reply #6 on: July 08, 2014, 04:37:12 PM »
There is some information and a photo of Calligonum comosum here:

http://www.onecommunityglobal.org/food-forest-shrub-plantings/

stuartdaly88

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Re: Fruit plants of hot arid temperate and dry subtropical climates.
« Reply #7 on: July 08, 2014, 04:37:42 PM »
I think pomegranate can survive both low and high temperatures?
Also rough lemon takes frost and 30C + but needs irrigation.
Mulberry also but needs irrigation too.

Hmm is a tough combo for low and high temperature tolerance as well as draught resistance
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Taparyal

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Re: Fruit plants of hot arid temperate and dry subtropical climates.
« Reply #8 on: July 08, 2014, 04:53:59 PM »
Anothe positive thing on Calligonum - it may be used to produce honey and attracts actually many pollinators. I remember in places where I saw it grow many solitary bees lived, what at the end was positive for the whole area.
The area I am refering to was an artificial plantation of Calligonum in south Russia to fix the sands. This place has a very salty soil, hot climate (up to 40° in summer) and up to -25° in the winter (although the-25° is not a constant winter temprature but rather may occur in the month of february for some days).

Taparyal

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Re: Fruit plants of hot arid temperate and dry subtropical climates.
« Reply #9 on: July 08, 2014, 05:19:09 PM »
I think pomegranate can survive both low and high temperatures?
Also rough lemon takes frost and 30C + but needs irrigation.
Mulberry also but needs irrigation too.

Hmm is a tough combo for low and high temperature tolerance as well as draught resistance
Yes - exactly, pomgranates and mulberries are well adopted. Mulberries have good resistance to drought too, but not for extreme conditions. But are one of the best fruits I know and very producing trees.


Some intresting plants that surviveboth Siberian frosts and the hot desert Sun are Nitraria species. They are Halophytes, butin difference to Calligonum could be considered a real high quality fruit. I would prefer them to Lycium for example.
They are tasty both, fresh and as a dried fruit and give also a nice violet colour (for example for ice-creams).
As Halophytes they are quite specific plants that need specific conditions, but which other fruiting plant will survive such hard conditions?
The main difficulty with Nitraria as with some Lycium, that they are a bit thorny, and collection isn't that easy.
Nitraria bushes are low growing plants...

Related to Nitraria is Malacocarpus. I don't have experience with Malacocarpus - and wanted to offer seeds here, but seems that my source of seeds wasn't a good one.I am still in search to get right and good quality seeds of this plant to grow and spread this rare plant.
Malacocarpus crithmifolius (previously Peganum crithmifolium) is also a low growing shrub. It is very rare and is know of small locations from Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.
Although it seems a wide range, in reality it is known of only 2-4 locations in each country. This plant is very rare and seems difficult to reproduce (what is not possible to say for the related genus Peganum).
I havn't tasted the fruit, but it is described as tasty and good quality fruit.
It can be found on both, salty and rocky soils. The plant is also very decorative. The plant produces red berries.
Good pictures aren't unfortunately available on the internet, as the plant is really very rare

Taparyal

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Re: Fruit plants of hot arid temperate and dry subtropical climates.
« Reply #10 on: July 08, 2014, 05:20:39 PM »
One intresting thing on Calligonum I have forgotten - it is the natural host of Cistanche sp. - precious medicinal plants...

Taparyal

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Re: Fruit plants of hot arid temperate and dry subtropical climates.
« Reply #11 on: July 08, 2014, 05:29:06 PM »
An intresting finding from the dry Subtropics of Turkmenistan and bordering region of Iran is Mandragora turcomanica - the Turkmen mandrake.
It produces edible fruits, that are described to have a melon like flavour.
Here is a picture of the fruits: http://infoabad.com/images/mandragora%20v%20botsadu%202.jpg

stuartdaly88

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Re: Fruit plants of hot arid temperate and dry subtropical climates.
« Reply #12 on: July 08, 2014, 06:34:46 PM »
One intresting thing on Calligonum I have forgotten - it is the natural host of Cistanche sp. - precious medicinal plants...
wow I take cistanche!!
A very good nutritive adaptogenic:) it is very salty too.
So the Calligonum will not grow in less harsh conditions?
I would be interested in this I like to grow the 50 fundamental chinese herbs or even if it's just related to them:)
I really like dried goji berry I could eat many every day.
Have you found online pics of Nitraria sp fruits?
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Taparyal

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Re: Fruit plants of hot arid temperate and dry subtropical climates.
« Reply #13 on: July 09, 2014, 03:02:39 AM »
One intresting thing on Calligonum I have forgotten - it is the natural host of Cistanche sp. - precious medicinal plants...
wow I take cistanche!!
A very good nutritive adaptogenic:) it is very salty too.
So the Calligonum will not grow in less harsh conditions?
I would be interested in this I like to grow the 50 fundamental chinese herbs or even if it's just related to them:)
I really like dried goji berry I could eat many every day.
Have you found online pics of Nitraria sp fruits?


A good question - I am also trying to figure this out. Unfortunately I don't know sources for various Calligonum seeds.
What I sometimes get access to is C. aphyllum and maybe also C. polygonoides.
As soon as I may get seeds i will offer them here to give a try to this plant in other places. But for sure there are more intresting Calligonum for food purpose, than the ones I may get.
There are done some good studies on Calligonum germination from seeds, which are available on the net, I'll try to post them these days.
Cistanche generally lives on Calligonum and also Haloxylon plants (at least in Asian deserts).
Haloxylon (Chenopodiaceae) is not a fruit bearing plant, but also a good sand-fixing plant.

Nitraria pictures are available on the internet:
Nitraria sibirica: http://greif.uni-greifswald.de/floragreif/floragreif-content/Mon03/CD4/D60_2057.JPG
Nitraria retusa: https://bedouinhistorydesertsafari.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/dscn5228.jpg
http://www.wildflowers.co.il/images/merged/393-l-1.jpg?Nitraria%20retusa
Nitraria schoberi:
http://www.plantarium.ru/dat/plants/3/325/5325_93752eb9.jpg

Nitraria billardieri: https://australianseed.com/persistent/catalogue_images/products/nitraria-billardierei-2.jpg




Taparyal

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Re: Fruit plants of hot arid temperate and dry subtropical climates.
« Reply #14 on: July 09, 2014, 03:04:09 AM »
From what I read, N.sibirica is considered better in taste and phytochemical composition if compared to N. schoberi and N. komarovii

SeaWalnut

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Re: Fruit plants of hot arid temperate and dry subtropical climates.
« Reply #15 on: July 16, 2019, 06:19:23 PM »
I got interested in Calligonum because its good for bees,hardy and such an interesting fruit and shrub because it has no leaves.
Im think it would be a good companion for Nitraria Schoberi.


Calligonum fresh fruit in the first picture and dryed fruit in the second.