You don\u2019t have to live in a dewy oasis to grow your own delicious, fresh fruits. A dry landscape may seem like a recipe for withered, dying plants, but many of our favorite fruits are native to Latin America and the Mediterranean region, which means they\u2019re perfectly adapted to hot, dry summers. <\/p>
We\u2019ve compiled a list of the 10 best fruits for your drought-prone yard or low-water xeriscape. Once established, they need little to no supplemental watering, so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor. <\/p>
For an extra burst of flavor, we\u2019ve included taste profiles for each fruit, so you can choose the perfect one for your palate and cooking needs.<\/p>
With striking golden, orange, and red fall foliage and fragrant pink and white spring flowers, the Asian persimmon<\/a><\/strong> is a delightful landscape addition even before you consider its luscious orange fruits. <\/p> A medium-sized deciduous tree native to Eastern Asia and India, the persimmon thrives in sunny, warm weather and is an excellent choice for privacy hedges or front yard ornamentation. It blooms in spring, and 3- to 4-inch fruits ripen in late fall. You can harvest your fruits to eat or leave them on the tree for winter interest. <\/p> Note:<\/strong> Be patient with your baby persimmon. Persimmons are slow growers and normally take four to six years to start bearing fruit. Once they do, they\u2019ll produce a harvest each year. <\/p> Persimmon characteristics:<\/strong><\/p> Persimmon flavor:<\/strong><\/p> Persimmons have a tangy, honey-like flavor with notes of cinnamon. With a silky smooth texture, they can be sliced and eaten raw, or prepared for: <\/p> Also known as pitaya, dragon fruits<\/a><\/strong> are some of the most drought-tolerant \u2014 and stunning \u2014 fruits you can grow. With enormous night-blooming white flowers and hot pink fruits, they\u2019re showstopping cacti that have recently gained international popularity as healthy, delicious summer snacks.<\/p> Plant your dragon fruit with some landscaping support (like a trellis) in a sunny but not overly exposed area. A moderate amount of sunlight will produce healthy, large fruits, but too much sun may burn (insolate) the stem. Dragon fruits are typically harvested in midsummer to mid-fall, about 30 days after flowers have bloomed. <\/p> Dragon fruit characteristics:<\/strong><\/p> Dragon fruit flavor:<\/strong><\/p> Dragon fruits are lightly sweet and refreshing (they taste like a mix between a pear and a kiwi) and are usually eaten fresh. However, they\u2019re also delicious in:<\/p> Other than its name, there\u2019s not much common about the common fig<\/a><\/strong>. With juicy sweet fruits that ripen in late summer (with the potential for a second harvest in fall), a fig tree is a perfect addition to sun-drenched areas of your lawn. Its large, attractive leaves accent small fruits that turn deep purple at harvest time. <\/p> Most fig trees available at garden centers are self-pollinating<\/strong>, so you won\u2019t have to worry about buying multiple fig trees or hoping that tiny fig wasps<\/a> will flutter along and pollinate your flowers. <\/p> Note:<\/strong> Figs aren\u2019t as drought-tolerant as other trees on this list, as they require 1 inch of water per week<\/a> (from natural rainfall or irrigation) during hot summer months. However, they are extremely popular with homeowners in the South and West who either get consistent summer rainfall or are willing to give plants some TLC in exchange for juicy, plump fruits. <\/p> Fig characteristics:<\/strong><\/p> Fig flavor:<\/strong><\/p> Figs are rich, sweet, and honey-like, so they pair well with cheeses and savory dishes. Use your figs to make:<\/p> For over 4,000 years, jujube<\/a><\/strong> has been cultivated in China, and there\u2019s a reason it\u2019s stayed so popular. Jujubes (commonly known as Chinese dates) produce an abundance of small egg-shaped fruits that taste similar to sweet-tart apples. <\/p> Both cold- and heat-tolerant, jujubes are hardy, pest-resistant growers that will give your landscape that added curb appeal. Their bark boasts attractive zig-zag patterns and branches cascade downward for a weeping willow-like appearance. Fragrant yellow flowers bloom from late spring into summer, and fruits mature from bright green to a deep red in late summer for harvest. Young jujube branches have thorns, so use caution when picking fruits off the tree. <\/p> Jujube characteristics:<\/strong><\/p> Jujube flavor: <\/strong><\/p> Jujubes are chewy and sweet with a tang. They\u2019re often enjoyed raw or dried as an afternoon snack, but they also can be used in:<\/p> Kei apples<\/a><\/strong> are robust shrubs that thrive on the Kei River in South Africa. Because of their drought resistance and ability to grow in poor soils, they\u2019re a popular option for U.S. landscapes in the southwest, California, and Florida.<\/p> Kei apples are small (1-2 inches) tart treasures, but you\u2019ll have to do some work to get to them: Kei apple branches have long spines, which help prevent unwanted wildlife but mean that harvesting requires gloves and long sleeves.<\/p> Fruits mature about 90 days after flowers open. You\u2019ll know it\u2019s time to harvest them when they change color from dark green to bright yellow or orange (usually from August to October). Kei apples are not <\/em>self-pollinating, so you\u2019ll need to plant a male and female kei apple tree to produce fruit. <\/p> Kei apple characteristics:<\/strong><\/p> Kei apple flavor:<\/strong><\/p> Kei apples tend to be too acidic to eat by themselves, so they\u2019re often cut in half, sprinkled with sugar, and left out for a few hours before being served as a dessert. They also can be used for: <\/p> A rapid-growing evergreen with apricot-like fruits, loquat<\/a><\/strong> is an ideal tree for year-round appeal. With fruits that ripen in mid-spring (instead of summer and fall, like most fruit trees), it\u2019ll welcome the season with a bounty of sweet, homegrown treats.<\/p> Also known as the Japanese plum or medler, loquat thrives in tropical climates where temperatures do not fall below 28 degrees Fahrenheit. Its lovely leathery leaves offer plenty of winter interest, and its fragrant, creamy white flowers attract hummingbirds and bees for a gorgeous backyard show through fall and winter. <\/p> Plant your loquat in a sunny area as a privacy hedge or front yard accent, or make it the star of your winter garden or children\u2019s garden. Pale yellow fruits can be easily picked from the tree, and they offer a host of health benefits<\/a>. They\u2019re rich in fiber; vitamins A, B6, and B9; potassium; and iron.<\/p> Note:<\/strong> Avoid eating loquat seeds, as consuming a large amount can be toxic. <\/p> Loquat characteristics:<\/strong><\/p> Loquat flavor:<\/strong><\/p> Loquats are citrusy and sweet, tasting like a cross between an apple, apricot, and pineapple. Ripe loquats have a juicy, peach-like texture. You can enjoy them straight from the tree, or use them to make:<\/p> With glossy evergreen leaves and white flowers that taste like marshmallows, you may already be sold on the pineapple guava<\/a><\/strong>, but its delicious pineapple-flavored fruit seals the deal. <\/p> Also known as feijoa, pineapple guava is a beautiful, dense shrub that blooms in spring and attracts songbirds. It\u2019s excellent as a privacy hedge or in an edible garden. Your kids will love picking fresh guava in late summer before school starts! <\/p> You\u2019ll know your guava is ripe when fruits begin to smell minty and have some give when you squeeze them. You can wait for ripe, reddish-brown fruits to fall off the plant, or pick them earlier and let them ripen on your kitchen counter. <\/p> Pineapple guava characteristics:<\/strong><\/p> Pineapple guava flavor:<\/strong><\/p> Pineapple guavas have a flowery, sweet taste similar to that of a strawberry, with the slightly crunchy texture of a pear. They\u2019re delicious fresh (just cut them in half and enjoy), or you can use them to make:<\/p> Prickly pear cacti <\/strong>won\u2019t prickle at high heat and drought conditions. A study from the University of Nevada shows that prickly pears produce the most fruit while using up to 80% less water than some traditional crops<\/a>. That means more delicious, antioxidant-rich treats without the strain on your water bill. <\/p> Known as tuna <\/em>in Latin America, prickly pears produce egg-shaped pink berries that ripen in late summer to early winter. Research shows that prickly pears, which are high in vitamins and carotenoids, may help prevent and treat diabetes, ulcers, and liver disease<\/a>. <\/p> Both the pads (nopales) and fruits of this succulent<\/a> are edible, but handle each with caution: Hair-like thorns called \u201cglochids\u201d must be burned off before you can safely enjoy your prickly pears. After burning the fruits, you can peel them and enjoy them raw, or freeze and juice them<\/a>.<\/p> Prickly pear characteristics:<\/strong><\/p> 2. Dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus,<\/em> H. polyrhizus<\/em>, and other Hylocereus<\/em> species)<\/span><\/h2>
3. Fig (Ficus carica<\/em>)<\/span><\/h2>
4. Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba<\/em>)<\/span><\/h2>
5. Kei apple (Dovyalis caffra<\/em>)<\/span><\/h2>
6. Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica<\/em>)<\/span><\/h2>
7. Pineapple guava (Acca sellowiana<\/em>)<\/span><\/h2>
8. Prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica<\/em>)<\/span><\/h2>