In article >,
Sonoran Dude > wrote:

> Omelet wrote:
>
> > Beautiful aren't they?
> > I've never tried to grow one, I just take care of wild volunteers.
>
> >> --Bryan
>
> Mine is hardly beautiful unless it is harvesting season. It is a very
> interesting plant though with precise geometric angles to the branching.
> I have watered mine every summer but this year I'm just letting nature
> takes its course and see if there is a difference in the flavor.
>
> There is a domesticated variety here at a Tucson Botanical park and I
> bought one for a friend several miles away so not to cross pollinate my
> perfect tasting wild one. He is a master gardener but genetics have
> everything to do with flavor. His is bitter and much hotter than the wild.

That does not sound good...

My wild ones are sweet with just enough heat to satisfy.
I was very pleased that this bush came back! I honestly thought that it
died last fall as the branches were crunchy, but I thought I'd leave it
be and give it a chance.

I'm glad I did:

http://i9.tinypic.com/4pds0fr.jpg

Pics taken about 1 hour or less ago.

Here you can see the size of the bush next to a 5 gallon bucket over to
the right.

http://i14.tinypic.com/4oubdpy.jpg

You can see the dead growth in the background. I was afraid to trim it
off because with these bushes, sometimes it's hard to tell and new
growth will spring out from what looks like dead branches.

This bush is several years old now and produces hundreds of fruits per
year about the size of my pinky fingernail. :-) The Cocaktoo is the
lucky recipient of many of them. Good source of C which birds need.
--
Peace, Om

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"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson