Best fruit to plant in a hot, dry desert-like garden

Shortly after moving to Las Vegas back in the 1990s I went on a hike with the Sierra Club in what is now the Red Rock  Canyon National Conservation Area. Our destination on this hike was an old abandoned ranch about 3+ miles from the pull-out on Highway 159 where we parked our cars. The ranch owners had walked away from the ranch years ago and turned it over to the Bureau of Land Management. (And the BLM had pretty much just ignored the place.)

So about 10 of us tromped off across the wide canyon floor. As a newcomer to desert hiking I forgot to bring water and it turned out there was no water at this old ranch. Just a weather-beaten house, a couple of fences that tilted and sagged…AND a row of pomegranate bushes still producing big red pomegranate fruit. These 8-10 foot high shrubs had survived for years with only the water that fell from the sky. And in Las Vegas, the average annual rainfall is about 4 inches! It might be a bit higher up in Red Rock Canyon, but not by much.

This was evidence that pomegranates grow well even under very dry conditions. And if you add a little bit of care and water they will do even better. Another plus: the leaves turn a lovely yellow in Fall and at Christmas time the fruit–if you haven’t picked it–looks like red ornaments in your garden.

So if you want a low-water usage fruit to harvest from your own backyard, plant a pomegranate. The ‘Wonderful” variety is an excellent choice and will do well even with neglect.

But don’t neglect taking water with you on a desert hike. I have always had water with me ever since that day.

See more suggestions about fruit trees for hot dry gardens.

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