Shortly after the Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Cal State Fullerton opened in 1979, staff members were approached by members of the California Rare Fruit Growers Inc. who wanted to know if the CSUF team was interested in planting rare fruit trees.
Not surprisingly, the staff was interested.
Today, more than 1.5 acres is devoted to fruit trees, including a stone and pome fruit orchard, avocado and orange grove, and the rare fruit grove.
While some of the fruits may not sound rare as they are available in grocery stores, most are not grown in Southern California and are often new to people who live in Southern California.
In addition to the more well-known bananas and guavas, visitors may also find false mangosteen and star fruit, which are found in Southeast Asia; sapote, which is native to Mexico, Central America and Columbia; and a host of other new fruits.
“I love it when guests discover the rare fruit trees here,” said Greg Pongetti, living collections curator. “They often describe to me how they use the fruits in food preparation and sometimes, even for medicinal purposes. I encourage guests to visit this orchard to see if we have trees or shrubs that produce something familiar to them from their country of origin. These visitors are usually delighted when they see fruit they remember from their childhoods.”
Although visitors are not allowed to take the fruit from these trees, or any trees or plants, these rare fruits may be for sale at the front entrance of the Arboretum and Botanical Garden when they are in season.
Visit the website to learn more about the Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Cal State Fullerton.