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We have a couple of plants in the backyard of our new house that we would like some help with identifying.
For reference, we're located in Central Texas.
The first plant is a tree that looks like it's bearing some type of yellow fruit. The fruit-type object starts small and green, but it looks like as it's maturing, it's turning yellow and getting softer. There appears to be a light fuzz on the outside, as well. We cracked one open and it's got a slight citrus smell, but nothing very strong that would allow us to identify it.
There is also a plant that has started growing at the base of the tree. It may be the same tree, but we have pictures of this as well, which should be the middle image.
The other plant that we're trying to identify looks like parsley, but we can't be sure. It's very low to the ground and surrounded by other herb-type plants, such as rosemary and onions. I believe the owners before us must have started a small herb garden in our backyard.
I'm attaching photos of all the plants in question. I would greatly appreciate any help you can offer! We love all of the beautiful plants in our backyard and would really love to know what each one is, particularly if it requires any special attention or care!
Thanks so much for the help! By "happy" do you mean "healthy"? It's a beautiful tree and we want to maintain it. Any suggestions?
Also, is the fruit edible? I've checked online and this site, and from what I gather, it's completely edible, aside from the nut or pit, which is highly toxic.
Yes it is completely edible, and when it becomes yellow/orange (depending on the tree) they become nice and sweet, i eat as many as i can get my hands on.
Yes, your tree looks healthy. Around here they can get hit with heavy snow and limb breakage. There's one in my backyard that is blooming now but they rarely set fruit due to our cool weather. It looks like it could use some light pruning and cleanup. Start with D, D & D (Dead, Diseased & Damaged) branch removal, removed at 90 angle to the main stem 1/8“ from the collar (where the stem widens before the main branch). Crossing branches aren`t good. Use sharp pruners and a branch saw. If you`re unsure about doing it, just use some string or coloured stretch tape to mark what branches you think should be DD&D removed and then review it. You`d probably also want to remove some of the suckers at the base of the tree. I`d also even out the tree by removing the lowest branch closest to the bbq to give you more unobstructed path access. Let me know if this makes sense.
Yes, that all makes sense. So the plants growing at the base (in the middle image) are part of the same tree and need to be removed completely? Would I uproot them or just trim them to the base?
We definitely need to get in there like you suggested and remove some of the dead and unhealthy branches. I like the idea of marking them with tape and looking at them before we get started.
Ah, no prob. Yes, I`m pretty sure they are ``suckers`` of your tree and should be removed as close to the main stem as possible. You`ll probably have to use pruners but often I twist suckers off so they don`t come back. I forgot to mention that when you prune the living branches off, make sure you do a cut on the bottom first for 1/2 the branch so that you ``break the skin`` and it doesn`t tear. Hopefully that makes sense too. Once you do the D,D&D, take a step back and look at the shape and functionality of the tree and see if any more living branches should be removed.
