In 2025, the APU Community Garden adopted 17 long-vacant planters on the Segerstrom roof (along with 6 existing planters established by faculty in the Department of Biology and Chemistry) to expand fresh produce offerings and to provide opportunities for Biology and Chemistry labs.
These thornless blackberries (Ouachita; one of the first thornless blackberries released by the University of Arkansas) usually bear fruit during the mid-summer, but sometimes set a smaller second flush in late fall. Find them on the 3rd floor patio.
Blueberries (Emerald and Misty) require a very low soil pH in order to take up iron and other nutrients, a result of their adaptation to bog environments. These berries mature in late spring and early summer each year. Find them on the 2nd floor patio.
The original canes for these southern-California-bred hybrid berries were donated to APU by a former campus pastor who grew up next door to the Knott family and planted them on the south side of Alumni House (then the Campus Pastors' office). In addition to this original planting and the canes on the 3rd floor patio, more berries can be found on the fence north of Trinity and across the sidewalk from International Admissions.
These citrus trees with thumb-sized fruits were donated by biology and chemistry faculty. The whole fruit is edible - skin and all. Fruits mature in December to February. In addition to the plant on the 2nd floor patio, kumquats can be found next to the Mary Hill entrance and on the Student Affairs porch.
This thornless prickly pear was selected by a physics major (Noah Meijer, '26) for superior flavor. He provided paddles to the APU Community Garden. Two plants are located at ground level on the east side of the building. Additional plants can be found on the south side of the APU Community Garden. Other tasty cactus fruits can be found in the cactus garden behind Wynn.
These berries (Heritage) fruit twice each year - summer and fall. Find them on the 3rd floor patio. Additional fall-bearing raspberries (both red and yellow) can be found in the APU Community Garden.
These berries (Albion) fruit almost year round (production is quite low from December through February). Find them on the 2nd floor patio, in the APU Community Garden, around the trees in the Alumni House Lawn, next to the OSD office door, and on the south side of the faculty quad.