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They avoided the fruits that grew on desert buckthorn and palo verde, as they are bitter and were considered inedible. The Akimel O’odham, River Pima, crushed the berries and made a sweet pudding.

For many rare fruit enthusiasts in the Phoenix area in the 1980s and ’90s, Dr. Falkenstein was the first to demonstrate that it was possible to grow these incredible plants in the desert.