We recently bought a house (Las Vegas NV) and there is a tree in the backyard I'm hoping to save. All of the leaves on top are dried up, but a couple of branches at the bottom are still green with fruits. The tree is about 5' tall and the fruits are about the size of golf balls and look like small pears. Please help identify this tree.
Thanks, Eric. I looked at a bunch of leaf photos, thought they matched. @Alternative, I'd trust Eric more than me.
Thanks! Is it safe to cut/prune all the dead branches? Only the bottom 1.5' of the tree will be left as everything on the top all dried up.
You can always cut dead branches--just make sure they are truly dead (dried out) vs. just having lost leaves this year (tissue inside will still have some moisture / pliability to it).
If you gently scrape the bark off a small spot on a "dead" branch (eg. with the back of a knife) you will be able to see if it's just neglected but still alive. If the branch is still living, there will be a green layer under the bark. If it's dry and brown below the bark that part of the branch is dead. It works for all woody plants as far as I know. I have used this method to identify how far back to prune a winter-killed rose as well. Btw, quinces are wonderful! The fruit should be cut from the tree before it is fully yellow (ripe) as it will continue to ripen on a shelf or table, like a pear. If you leave the fruit on the tree to ripen they usually split. Note that the fruit must be cut off, they will not usually break off. If you put quince fruit in a bowl in a room they will perfume the room as they ripen. Quince can also be used in cooking but usually cannot be eaten raw. The flowers in the spring are lovely!
