When you live in an area where it rains very little and also has a calcareous soil, it is sometimes difficult to find trees that are capable of adapting to living in those conditions and that also bear edible fruits. But that's something that with the Argania spinosa it's solved.
It grows reasonably fast, and as it has a wide crown it eventually casts very good shade. Do we know it?
Origin and characteristics
It is an evergreen tree endemic to the semi-deserts of southwestern Morocco. Its scientific name is Argania spinosa, although it is known as argan. It reaches a height between 8 and 10 meters, with a 3-4 meter wide crown. It has a rough trunk, and the leaves are oval with a rounded apex, 2-4cm long.
The flowers appear in the month of April in the northern hemisphere, and are yellow-green. The fruit is 2-4cm long by 1,5-3cm wide, with thick skin that surrounds the rind, which is bitter but gives off a sweet smell. It takes about a year to mature.
Their life expectancy is 150-200 years; and it is used as fodder, fuel and wood.
What are the cares?
If you want to have a copy, we recommend that you provide it with the following care:
- Location: the Argania spinosa It has to be outside, in full sun.
- Earth:
- Garden: the soil must be calcareous, with good drainage.
- Pot: universal growing substrate mixed with perlite in equal parts. You should know that it cannot be in a container for many years because of its adult size.
- Irrigation: 2 times a week in summer, a little less the rest of the year.
- Subscriber: from early spring to late summer with ecological fertilizers, once a month.
- Pruning: at the end of winter, dry, diseased or weak branches must be removed.
- Multiplication: by seeds in spring.
- Rusticity: up to 7ºC.
Did you know argan?