Page 48 - Edible Trees For Tucson

Desert hackberry (Celtis pallida)

These desert shrubs are irregularly shaped and
semi-evergreen except in cold and drought periods. The
leathery leaves are small, oval, bright green, and sparse.
Flowers are greenish yellow and grey-green stems are
heavily armed with spines. Desert
hackberry fruits are small, bright
orange, and have a single large seed
in the center. The fruits ripen in
late September, and may be eaten
fresh, ground, mashed or shaped
into small cakes and dried.

Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens)

Ocotillo is a drought-deciduous shrub with wandlike
stems that rise vertically from the
root crown. The stems may be
10-20 feet tall, with spines along
the length. Leaves emerge with
rains and fall during periods of
water stress. In Spring, scarlet
flowers bloom before the leaves.
The capsule fruits contain
numerous, winged seeds. The flowers and faintly sweet
nectar are edible. Ocotillo seeds may be ground into flour.

Passionfruit (Passiflora foetida)
This native passionfruit is an herbaceous, perennial
vine. The vines are green, slender,
and densely hairy with coiling
tendrils. The leaves have irregularly
saw-toothed margins and are green,
hairy, alternate, deeply palmately
lobed and roughly heartshaped.
They release a bad odor when crushed. The flowers
may appear from June to October, after monsoon rains.
The flowers are fleshy, lavender blue and white at their
base. The oval fruits are 1 inch diameter, yellow and
ripening to red.

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