Sonoran Desert Food Plants

Hi Yall,

You can call me D. I have been lurking on here for far too long and really wish to engage now that I have cultivated a sense of how I may be of benefit to others in dryland climates.

I live in Arizona USA in the northern Sonoran Desert. We have a very high biodiversity of drought adapted plants in and above our home. Our mountains are very diverse from bottom to top. You can be in the  cactus/legume tree forrests of the desert and see oak woodland and pine forrest up above. We have many edible native plants here that could be of benefit to others around the world. These plants are adapted to extreme Drought, Heat and Cold. Most only require 3-15 inches of rain per year. They are surprisingly prolific and produce an abundance of edible parts.

Below are some of the plants:

Legume Tree Species/Varieties:

Mesquite- Honey/Velvet/ScrewBean
-Sweet Delicious Bean Pods

Palo Verde- Blue/Yellow
-Edible beans with edemame like flavor and nutrition Profile.

Iron Wood-
-Extremely beautiful, drought adapted tree
-Edible Beans require proper preperation of leaching, but have great flavor.

Oaks-Emory,Scrub,Arizona Blue

Edible Cacti/Succulents/Yuccas/Sotol:
Saguaro-Fruit
Barrel Cactus-Fruit
Prickly Pear-Fruit
Chain Fruit Cholla
Buckhorn Cholla-Flower Buds
Agave- Roasted Hearts
Banana Yucca- Fruit
Sotol
Bear Grass

Berries:
Wolf Berries-9 sub-species (Goji berry relative)
Greythorn Berry
Hack Berry-Bush and Tree
Barberry

This is not an extensive list and there are many more plants that are edible and usefull.

I am making myself available to those who feel they may be of benefit by cultivating these plants so please feel free to ask questions.

I am a tour guide with an Off road ATV company and I will be offering guided foraging trips in Arizona during our peak fruiting seasons of June,July and August to anyone that is interested.

I also am willing to send/trade a few seeds of these plants with anyone who feels they may need them.
All I ask in return is for postage to be covered and a few bucks for my efforts. Last but not least... please report on your progress to Permies!

I will be adding more photo's to the post if it gains any interest.

Peace ✌️ and ❤️  to Yall!

Welcome to the forum!

What a blessing to have so many edible plants.

I too have many of these same plants plus a few you did not mention.

I am looking forward to learning more about what your hopes and dreams are.