Argan

Argania spinosa

Thorny, drought-proof and long-lived; its kernels give argan oil, and goats climb it for the fruit.

Type: small tree · nut trees
Hardiness: zones 9 to 11
Light: full sun
Size: about 25 ft tall, 25 ft wide
Harvest: June to August
From: SW Morocco
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.

Good for: food, wildlife.

Native to: Sahara & Arabian deserts. Hardy in zones 9 to 11.

The story

Argan trees grow only in southwest Morocco, where Amazigh women have cracked the nuts by hand and pressed the oil for cooking and skin for centuries, and goats climb the branches to eat the fruit. The forest is a UNESCO biosphere and the cooperatives are the women's.

Planting

Full sun, dry rocky soil, hot summers and no hard frost; it is a desert tree and very slow. Plant young seedlings in arid, frost-free places only.

Growing

Water the first two summers, then never. No pruning. It takes a decade or more to bear.

Harvest and use

Fruit falls in summer; dry, remove the pulp, crack the nut, and lightly roast and press the kernels. Hours of work per litre.

What to watch for

Wet soil and frost; otherwise nearly nothing.

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General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home