Jujube Deep Dive

Jujube

This isn’t your typical tree that produces fruit meant to be eaten only when ripe. They produce small, about 1-2 inch size fruits, drought-tolerant and fairly resilient trees that reach from 15-30 feet in height.  When you pick the fruit when it is ripe, it has more of an apple flavor that is slightly sweet and tart. But if you let them go soft and turn brown, they taste more like a date full of sweetness. This is why one of its common names is the Chinese date.

Care

These plants are relatively easy to grow and care for. They enjoy full sun, but here in the panhandle, with the extra humidity, it's best to pick your cultivars to give yourself the best chance of success. The Li, Lang, Sugar Cane, or Shanxi Li  have shown good performance in trials conducted in Gainesville. Due to the humidity, it would be good to keep an eye on fungus, and a spraying program might be needed to keep trees healthy.

Types

As mentioned above, the Li, Lang, Sugar Cane, or Shanxi Li are all good varieties for the area. See below for specific information on each one to help you decide.

• Li: Large, round fruits that are great for fresh eating and drying.
• Lang: Distinctly pear-shaped, perfect for making dried jujube.
• Sugar Cane: Extremely sweet and crunchy fruit, great for fresh eating. Heavy producer, yielding large harvests. Self-pollinating but benefits from cross-pollination.
• Shanxi Li: Produces large, flavorful fruits excellent for fresh eating.

Thanks for taking a read about the Jujube tree, and let me know if there is anything else you would like to know about them or another fruit that I haven’t covered yet. Come back next week when I do a deep dive on the Fig tree.

If you want to change your landscape or include a garden and want to know how to incorporate fruit trees, bushes, and many other perennials with annual veggies, we can help. A personal consultation, either in person or online, will get you on the right track. Forget the learning curve, start in the right direction. If you are not in Florida, we can still get you going in the right direction with the right plants for your climate.

You can reach us by filling out the form on our contact page or calling us.