Passion Vine, Fruiting
A vigorous subtropical vine with glossy, lobed leaves, intricate flowers, and aromatic passion fruit containing juicy, seed-filled pulp. Requires protection from Phoenix’s extreme heat and winter freezes. Special Features Edible ripe fruit; elaborate, fragrant flowers; attracts pollinators. Purple-fruited cultivars generally tolerate more cold than yellow-fruited types. Problems & Solutions Extreme heat can scorch foliage and […]
Passion Fruit ‘Possum Purple’
Vigorous tropical vine producing edible purple passion fruit. Features deeply lobed leaves and showy, intricate flowers. Grows rapidly and is trained on trellises, fences, or arbors; ‘Possum Purple’ is a self-fertile, heat-adapted selection. Special Features Produces edible passion fruit; attracts bees and butterflies; provides dense coverage on structures; fast screening. Problems & Solutions Root rot […]
Pindo Palm
A cold-hardy feather palm with arching, blue-gray fronds and edible, aromatic fruit used for jelly. Commonly sold as Butia capitata, landscape pindo palms are usually Butia odorata. Special Features Edible jelly-making fruit; graceful, recurved fronds; good cold tolerance for Zone 9b; moderate drought tolerance once established. Problems & Solutions Extreme desert heat, reflected sun, and […]
Pecan ‘Western Schley’
A large, deciduous pecan cultivar widely grown in the Southwest, producing flavorful, thin-shelled nuts. Well suited to Phoenix heat when given ample irrigation and room to develop. Special Features Edible, thin-shelled pecans; substantial summer shade; adapted to Southwestern heat. A Type I pollen-shedding cultivar; planting a compatible Type II cultivar such as Wichita improves pollination […]
Philippine Red Guava
A tropical fruiting guava prized for reddish-bronze foliage and aromatic, red-skinned fruit with pink to red flesh. In Phoenix, it needs protection from severe summer exposure and winter freezes. Special Features Edible, fragrant fruit; ornamental reddish foliage; attractive exfoliating bark. Generally self-fruitful, though insect pollination improves fruit set. Problems & Solutions Frost can damage foliage […]
Peruvian Apple Cactus
A tall, branching South American cactus with ribbed, blue-green stems, large night-blooming flowers, and edible fruit; commonly sold as Cereus peruvianus or Cereus repandus. Special Features Dramatic vertical form; excellent heat and drought tolerance; edible pink-red fruit with sweet white flesh and small black seeds; attracts nocturnal pollinators. Problems & Solutions Root and stem rot […]
Pink Lemon – Variegated
An ornamental Eureka lemon with cream-and-green variegated leaves, striped young fruit, and pink flesh. Ripe lemons have mostly yellow rinds and tart juice that is generally clear rather than pink. Special Features Pink-fleshed edible lemons, decorative striped immature fruit, variegated foliage, and fragrant flowers. Self-fruitful; one tree can produce fruit. Problems & Solutions Sunburn and […]
Pixie Mandarin
A late-season mandarin producing small, sweet, seedless fruit with easy-peeling orange skin. ‘Pixie’ refers to the fruit size, not a naturally dwarf tree. Special Features Sweet, seedless, easy-peeling fruit; self-fruitful and does not require a pollinator. Late harvest season; may take several years to become productive. Problems & Solutions Sunburn on exposed bark and fruit […]
Plum – Santa Rosa
Japanese plum producing aromatic, reddish-purple fruit with sweet-tart amber flesh, excellent fresh or preserved. This profile assumes ‘Santa Rosa’; Prunus salicina ‘Beauty’ is a different cultivar. Special Features Edible fruit, fragrant spring flowers, and self-fruitfulness; another compatible Japanese plum can improve production. Generally needs approximately 300–500 winter chill hours, which may limit reliable cropping in […]
Ponderosa Lemon
A thorny citrus hybrid, generally considered a citron–pomelo cross, producing exceptionally large, thick-skinned yellow fruit with acidic, lemon-like juice. Special Features Very large edible fruit, fragrant flowers, and self-fertile blossoms; one tree can produce fruit. Fruit may remain on the tree for an extended period after ripening. Problems & Solutions More frost-sensitive than many citrus; […]