Grow argan from seed planted in 3-inch plastic pots. Plant the seeds 2 inches deep in a damp soil mixture made up of two parts loam, one part peat moss and one part humus. Germination takes up to a month.
Furthermore, how long does it take to grow an argan tree? It is a slow growing species that starts bearing fruits 5-8 years after planting. After prolonged drought, it shed its leaves and stays dormant for several years. Argan flowers in May-June and the fruit may require one year to ripen. Argan reaches its maximum production when it is 60 years old.
As many you asked, can argan trees grow in America? The wood is hard, prized locally, and much used for fuel. Excessive exploitation of the tree has stimulated local moves toward conservation and cultivation. Argan seedlings are being grown experimentally in Florida (USA) and in Haiti, with a view to trial in semi-arid regions of near-mediterranean climate.
Amazingly, where is argan grown? A treasure of Morocco, the argan tree not only provides one of the country’s most valuable exports, argan oil, but is also endemic to the region and only grows naturally in and around Morocco!
Moreover, why does argan only grow in Morocco? Argan oil, only grown in Morocco, is made by smashing — also called cold pressing — the small oily kernel inside the fruit. Oil extraction is a difficult and time consuming process and the resulting oil is expensive.Argan oil, which is believed to be one of the most expensive oils in the world, is extracted from the poop of tree-climbing goats in Morocco. The goats climb the Argania trees when the fruits are ripe and feed on them. When the goats excrete the fruit, the seed is still intact, and is used to produce the oil.
Is argan a nut or seed?
Know Your Nuts An argan nut is a tree nut. Other tree nuts include almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios and pine nuts. These nuts are all produced above ground on the branches of trees.
Does argan only grow in Morocco?
A story of empowerment. Despite a steadily growing global market for argan products—for luxury cosmetics and culinary use—argan trees grow only in Morocco.
Can you grow an argan tree?
Cultivation Notes: Argania spinosa requires very little care or cultivation (1). Although the argan tree is unable to withstand a harshly cold climate, it is resistant to extreme heat and drought (2). This makes it easy for the plant to grow and flourish in areas of southeast Morocco.
Can you eat argan fruit?
The fruit is firm, has a thick peel, and contains a bitter fleshy pulp around an almond-shaped nut that resembles a dried olive. That pulp is what the tree goats love. Here’s the rub, though: They eat the whole fruit, despite the fact that their bodies can’t digest the nut.
Is argan a seed?
Argan tree (Argania spinosa) seeds are the source of argan oil, which is used as a cooking oil and in the cosmetics industry. Argan oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E. The tree is native to southern Morocco, where it grows in open forests up to an altitude of more than 5,000 feet.
What does the argan tree look like?
Argan trees are short with a wide spreading canopy of small, oval, leathery leaves. Its trunk is twisted, and its branches bear thorns. Argan tree flowers are small and yellow-green, and its fruits have a thick peel and soft pulp that surrounds a hard nut containing oil-rich seeds.
Which countries have argan trees?
The argan tree (Argania spinosa) is a native species of the sub-Saharan region of Morocco, in the southwest of the country, which grows in arid and semiarid areas. It’s the defining species of a woodland ecosystem, also known as Arganeraie, which is rich in endemic flora.
Is argan a fruit or nut?
Despite its naturally nutty aroma, Argan Oil is not made from a nut at all. Argania spinosa trees are fruit bearing, and Argan Oil is made from the kernel inside of the pit of the fruit. This product is nut-free.
Argan Oil is currently (2007) the darling oil of foodies, the slow food movement, and environmentalists. It comes from a shrubby, thorny evergreen tree (Argania spinosa) that grows in the south-western part of Morocco between Essaouira and Agadir. It is related to the olive tree.
Is argan oil made from tree nuts?
Argan oil is derived from the nut of the argan tree and has rarely been reported to cause allergic reactions. While it is not a common food in the U.S., you will often find it in Morocco.