Quinces and Figs thrive in the desert. Make great jam, too!

In 2014 Quinces (Cydonia oblonga) were named the Fruit Tree of the Year by the California Rare Fruit Growers Association. Well, maybe rare in California, but here in Tucson quince trees have been growing since the late 1600s. Brought to this locale by Jesuit Father Kino, one of the first Europeans to the area, later travelers complained that the only fruit tree in Tucson was the quince, which is basically inedible fresh off the tree. It has to be cooked and then it is delicious as a jam. I’m sure the travelers were hankering for juicy Spanish oranges or crisp German apples–but no luck. In Tucson hard quinces were the only choice.

Two quinces fro Tucson Presidio — These two quinces were given to me by a docent at the Tucson Presidio. The are unripe, hard, fuzzy outside and have no scent. More modern hybrids have a smooth peel and are fragrant when ripe.

While I have seen plenty of pomegranates growing in yards around Tucson I hadn’t seen a quince tree until I visited the replica of the original Tucson Presidio where a quince tree is planted side-by-side with a sweet Spanish orange tree and a lemon. As you can see, it is loaded with quinces, which are drought tolerant, sun and heat-lovers that need good drainage. Online it stated that 2 trees were needed for pollination, but this solo plant seems to be doing okay by itself. One other thing to note about quince trees: they are covered with lovely white flowers in Spring. So if you are thinking about adding a small tree to your hot, dry garden, maybe a quince is the tree for you. (Or maybe a fig–see below.)

Quince tree at Tucson Presidio Hot Gardens — The quince tree at the Tucson Presidio.

While quince trees are naturally small, fig trees can become enormous, as this fig, below, growing in one courtyard of the Tucson Presidio demonstrates. And it does not take decades to grow to this size. This Presidio was built from scratch on a former parking lot and opened in 2007, so this fig (and the quince above) are no older than 12 years!

fig tree in downtown Tucson Hot Gardens — A huge fig tree in the courtyard of the Presidio in downtown Tucson

In addition to producing delicious figs to eat raw or cook into jam, fig trees (Ficus carica) have large leaves that cast a dense shade to create a cool oasis in a desert garden. The ‘Black Mission’ and ‘Brown Turkey’ are good varieties for the desert. Most produce two crops of figs per year and need regular watering, especially when the fruit is growing. If you intend to plant a fig in your garden, be sure to ask the nursery staff how large the tree is expected to grow. Smaller size fig trees can be espaliered along a wall. (I know. I did this in my garden in Las Vegas!)

Pomegranates on the ground at the Tucson Presidio.

Now a word about pomegranates, which I have written about before because they are among the easiest and most forgiving of neglect of any fruit tree in a desert garden. There are ignored pomegranates on the ground all over my neighborhood, as well as at the Tucson Presidio. But it looks like they are providing food for birds and animals. A good thing!