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Re: edible street trees

   Date: Fri, 9 Jan 1998 20:59:55 -0800
   From: "Michael D. Barclay" <opga1@dsp.net>

   Dear Planters,
   RE: Cyndi's choice for "edible" Oakland Street trees.

Except for the almond, none of these were my choices.  In fact, most of
them I wouldn't even consider.

   1) Umbellularia callifornica would grow much too large aND KEEP THE AREA
   beneath it filthy with sooty mold.  Besides the leaves taste awful!  If
   you want Bay Leaves choose Laurus 'Saratoga'--a perfect replacement.  Or
   choose Laurus nobilis and cultivate patience.

I have a saratoga already but want to keep it in a container because I
don't want to waste a tree space with a plant that will provide me with
more than enough of its edible leaves when kept small.  I have no interest
in umbellularia.

   2) No almond of any kind will fruit where Cyndi lives.  They require a
   colder winter and much, much hotter summer.

Are you sure?  Sunset Garden book says almonds will fruit okay in zone 16,
but not zone 17.  I'm in 16.  I get more heat than most of Berkeley and
Oakland. 

   3) A standard Eureka lemon or Bearss's Seedless Lime would do fine but
   neither are fast.

Got 2 lemons already, thanks.

   4) Feijoa sellowiana is a superb choice but messy. However both flowers and
   fruits are edible.  You must choose a grafted clone for fruit and two
   different clones are better'n one.

The problem with pineapple guava is that I dislike the fruit.

   5) All citrus are slow in the conditions you offer.  Speedy are plums,
   (messy), apples, pears.

Got 2 apple trees already, and they have to be watered anyway.  I love
pears but my SO hates them.  I'm thinking of (was it Katherine's?) the
suggestion for a plum tree but am concerned about the mess.  My dad/stepmom
have one and it's pretty messy.  Not sure about the water requirements.

   6) My personal recommendation would be two different apricots-easy in your
   area, clean, delicious, relatively fast - read the HP Book of Fruits and
   Nuts.  Then try again.  You first choices will lead to permanent
   unhappiness!

Why HP?  WOuldn't I be better off with a book that understands Calif
climate?  I've already gone through the Sunset Fruit and Nut book, the
Manual of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit, and about half a dozen other
books on fruits and nuts from the library.

Apricots would be fine; I love them.  But they take water, right?  You know
I"m only interested in trees I don't have to water after the first year,
right?

I'm surprised no one has mentioned persimmons.  It doesn't need watering,
it's the right size, it's pretty, and the fruit isn't messy (unless you
drop it).  There's one over a parking area at my dad's house on the
penisula.  I orginally rejected it cause I thought I'd just get fruit from
him, but that didn't work so maybe I will consider a permission tree (I'd
prefer the non-astringent kind...maybe).

I was actually kind of hoping people could suggest unusual mediteranian
fruit or nut trees.  There must be some edible trees beyond bay, olives,
and almonds.  If I could shape a pomegrante into a tree, I'd do that (I'm
already going to put in a bush).

Cyndi

-- 
_______________________________________________________________________________
"There's nothing wrong with me.  Maybe there's                     Cyndi Norman
something wrong with the universe." (ST:TNG)                   cnorman@best.com
__________________________________________________ http://www.best.com/~cnorman
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