Tropical Plants for the Mojave Desert

Q. Besides freezer damage, what other differences do tropical plants have from non-tropical plants?

Our farm in the Philippines and champeduk, a tropical fruit similar to durian and jackfruit.

A. Tropical plants freeze sooner, which just means they start getting injured at temperatures below 55F. Tropical plants and fruit experience damage starting much higher temperatures than temperate plants (plants that can tolerate freezing temperatures). Temperate plants experience freezing injury starting at 32F. Damage to bananas (soft and brown) occur at higher temperatures; a few hours after putting them in the refrigerator (39F). Not even a freezer! Even tomato fruit are damaged when put into a refrigerator. Most tropical plants and their fruit are damaged at storage temperatures higher than temperate plants (apples, peaches, strawberries, pomegranate, ash, poplar, mulberry).

A banana, locally produced in Las Vegas.

            Much of this type of damage occurs because plants don’t have “legs”. Plants, more than animals (which can move from place to place because of “legs”) are more sensitive to changes in their environment. They can’t move! Plant damage due to freezing is the most obvious. But other environmental changes are also important such as the strength of sunlight, wind, water availability and quality, air, and soil changes. Plants don’t like it. They are damaged or dead. Animals don’t like it. They move.

Coconut palms near our farm in the Philippines. We have several coconut palms at our farm including a "dwarf" form.

            The better we can provide for these damaging environments (garage protection from cold, west side vs east side of buildings due to light intensity, protection from wind, change in humidity, irrigation and drainage), then the plants are better off.

Citrus freeze protection in Las Vegas.