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turrialgringo

What Exotic fruits can we grow in UT?

turrialgringo
10 years ago

So I live in SLC and just planted (don't know how they'll handle the heat and cold of our "Zone 7" but we'll see:
Persimmons
Pawpaw
Maypop- passion fruit
hardy kiwi
and honey berry

Anyone else grow crazy fruits? Maybe pushing the limits of our zone?

Comments (8)

  • Greg
    10 years ago

    I have planted all of those with in the past 3 years with mixed results, still no fruit.

    Arguta kiwis seem to be slow to get going and although I have two, three year old females I am having a hard time keeping a male alive. I think in our climate they could benefit from partial shade at least when they are young.

    My honey berries are going into their second season and haven produce fruit yet. They have grown very little in a year and although they have flowered I have never seen any bees on them probably because they aren't big enough to draw them in. This is another plant that I think would benefit from partial shade.

    I tried a blue crown passiflora that grew like a weed but didn't make it through the winter. I am going to order some maypops myself and think they should do fine here.

    I planted a saijo persimmon last summer that died this winter. The tree was grafted to american persimmon rootstock that grew very well, I was surprised at how quickly the root stock grew and set out branches. I think if your persimmon is cold hardy enough it should do really well here. I plan to replace it with a rossenyanka hybrid but I can't find anyone selling them at the moment.

    I have a seedling pawpaw that is going on its third growing season. Nothing to special about them just keep it shaded the first season and give it plenty of water.

    I also planted a salatvaski pom and a hardy chicago fig last summer that made it through the winter with about 50% die back. I don't know if it will be worth keeping the pom as I don't want to wrap a large tree every fall just to keep it alive. It did grow very well here and doubled its size in one growing season.
    As for the fig I plan on training some main lateral branches really close to the ground. This way I can prune off the new growth at the end of the season, bury the laterals in leaves, throw a tarp over it and call it good. Also the fig did produce for me last summer and they were pretty good.

    Greg p.s. I live in Payson zone 6

  • turrialgringo
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Greg, I forgot I also planted a "favorite" pom which was brought from Russia, so I imagine it is a close relative to yours. They say it's good down to below 10. Its in a pot now but I don't know if I want to bring it in each year...
    The persimmons I got was Nikita's Gift. I read the Nikita's Gift and Rossenyanka are supposed to be the hardiest of the persimmons. I'd be interested to find out what happens with yours.
    I forgot to mention my potted plants I guess too. I have 2 pineapple guava, a citrus, and a hand of budha. (all new this year...) I think I'll try to shade them (all) 4 O'clockish on as we do get intense sun.
    Thanks for oosting,
    Aaron

  • Tony Dittmer
    7 years ago

    I'm in Provo, I have a Pawpaw and Maypop that should comeback. I've been interested in Honeyberries, but have not planted them yet. My Hardy Kiwi are also coming on right now. I really want the Maypop to take off. Do you guys have any more info since these posts?

    Tony

  • aageery
    7 years ago

    I ate my first honey berries last weekend!

    Last year I began trying to kill off my Maypop and move it to a pot. What an invasive monster! It's a late bloomer but comes out with a vengeance.

    Greg- You got edible fruits off your Maypop? Mine produced one fruit but it was hollow....

    I moved my Kiwi under a tree for sun protection in march and it has grown 5 feet this year already! I also see my first Nikita's Gift blossoms getting ready to open

  • Greg
    7 years ago

    Yes I got a few partially filled fruit. I had a few issues at first with pollinating but then one of my plants I thought died came back just in time to get some fruit before frost. I wasn't that impressed with the fruit, but to be honest they were probably picked too soon. To me it tastes kind of like a sweet/sour weed with a hint of fruity. Hopefully this year I will get a better evaluation. My wife liked them because she enjoyed the crunchy seeds. I will keep them for the flowers and apparently the plant is really good to help you sleep if you have insomnia.

    How old is you Nikitas gift? that is really cool that you are getting blossoms. I planted one this year but it hasn't even come out of dormancy yet.

  • aageery
    7 years ago

    I have ordered 3 from OneGreenWorld over the years and they have all died. I ordered 2 from EdibleLandscape last year and they are doing really well. They are on their second year so I wont let them fruit yet but blossoms already?! How cool is that?!

    How much fruit do you get off your paw paws? What kind and how old are they?

  • claspencer
    6 years ago

    Hi Greg. Just letting you know, when you eat a passionfruit you are not supposed to chew it. You just swallow it. As for taste, there are very sour varieties, which are perfect to make juice (blend, then run through sieve) and purees for cooking and sweet varieties that you just eat out of the fruit. I love both and it does really work to calm you down if you are nervous or for insomnia.

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