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 Tumacacori National Historical Park was replanted for the first time in over 200 years, using trees grown at Desert Survivors as part of this program. Our next project is growing out a large number of trees to be planted at the Tucson Origins Park/Mission Gardens off of the Santa Cruz River in Tucson (part of the Rio Nuevo Project). At this point, these trees are not available for sale to the general public. We look forward to a time in the future when we will be able to offer these special trees for sale.