Kino Heritage
Fruit Tree
Project
Desert
Survivors
has been
working
with the
Arizona
Sonora Desert
Museum since
2004 on
the Kino
Heritage
Fruit Tree
Project.
The project
involves
reproducing
the oldest
heirloom
fruit trees
in southern
Arizona
and northern
Sonora,
especially
species
grown by
Father Kino
hundreds
of years
ago in the
area at
Spanish
Missions.
The trees
are reproduced
by vegetative
propagation
or grafting
to ensure
that they
are identical
genetic
copies of
the original
plants.
We are growing
an assortment
of pomegranites,
figs, quince,
and some
stone fruits
(pears,
apricots,
peach, etc).
Some of
the original
trees have
persisted
on private
properties,
while others
have been
found growing
wild in
riparian
areas.
Jesus Garcia-Yanez
and Robert
Emanuel
of the Desert
Museum have
been instrumental
in starting
the program
as well
as providing
direction
throughout.
Many other
organizations
have been
involved
including
the Santa
Cruz Heritage
Alliance,
Tumacacori
National
Historical
Park and
Native Seed
SEARCH.
In spring
of 2007,
the orchard
at Tumacori
National
Historic
Park was
replanted
for the
first time
in over
200 years,
using trees
grown at
Desert Survivors
as part
of this
project.
Finally
trees from
this special
project
are available
to the general
public.
The following
is a list
of some
of the species
and localities
of plants
that are
being grown:
Figs:
Sosa
Carillo
-
Black
Mission,
planted
in 1880’s
from
Tucson
Ruby -
found
near
perennial
spring
near
ghost
of Ruby
near
border
Oro
Blanco -
found
near
Ruby
Fig,
this
is probably
a White
Fig
Variety
Pomengranites:
Sosa
Carillo - A delicious
soft-seeded
Pink pomegranite,
that appears
to have
been originally
grafted
onto a
white
pomegranite,
planted
in 1880’s
in Tucson
Ruby -
Red pomegranite
found
near spring
near ghost
town of
Ruby near
Border
Josefina -
White
pomegranite
from Tucson,
extremely
sweet
with white
fruit
Garcia
Camp -
from mining
camp on
the north
side of
Santa
Catalina
Mountains
Quince:
San
Pedro - old
tree from
settlement
along
historic
San Pedro
River
Valley
Oracle - old
tree from
close
to old
post office
in town
of Oracle,
growing
near a
spring
at a residence
on the
north
side of
the Santa
Catalina
Mountains
Aravaipa -
from the
riparian
canyon
in the
Galiuro
Mountains
Apricot:
Donna
Adelina - a tasty
Tucson
heirloom
Guavas:
Comondu - 300
year old
heirloom
from mission
in Baja
in Comondu
Las
Parras -
300 year
old heirloom
from Rancho
Las Parras
in Baja
*3 out
of our
4 guava
localities
have white
fruits,
with being
red
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