We live near Dodoma, Central Tanzania. Right now the fruit selection available in Tanzania is rather limited to Citrus, Mango, Avocado, Bananas, Jackfruit, Pineapples, Pomegranates, guava and Papaya (and apples and litchi from outside as well as a few other locally available fruits like cocoa and annona spp. in some areas).
There is a lot of other fruits that could be grown here, but they are not available.
I would like to build a collection of as many appropriate fruit trees for the area (and other areas in East Africa as well) as possible and am looking for help and collaboration in this area.
Appropriate fruit species would mean that it could survive with as little as 500mm rain per year and can withstand a 7 month long dry season.
What I already have (beside those aforementioned):
- carob (not exactly a fruit tree, though)
- ximenia americana (indigenous variety, undeveloped)
- carissa macrocarpa
- vitex doniana (indigenous, undeveloped)
- eugenia uniflora (from Echo East Africa in Arusha, thank you very much!)
- Ziziphus mauritiana
- Pitaya (again, Echo)
- Muntingia calabura
- different passion fruits (maliformis, quadrangularis, molissima - although I just planted them, so I don’t know whether they will grow)
What other fruit trees/plants would be appropriate, and where could I get them? Getting them via post is difficult here in Tanzania…
Thanks in advance for any help!