Li Jujube

Flowers the Fragrance of Grape Soda!An interesting plant from China in which the fruit was used in Chinese medicine.  A smaller tree that is densely branched and gets to about 15’ or so.  Flowers are small and yellow, typically in June.  The flowers have the interesting fragrance of grape soda.  The leaves are dark green and glossy and resemble those of a pear tree. Li Jujube produces loads of candy like fruits at a very early age.  The fruits (drupe) resemble a small egg in size and are green as the begin to mature in the fall.  If eaten fresh and green they will be very crunchy and sweet like an apple with a bit of a syrupy overtone.  As the fruits begin to ripen more, they turn a mahogany color and get sweeter as they age.  They can be picked at this stage and allowed to wrinkle and dry after picking and should to be used like you would dates or raisins. They are super sweet eaten fresh, preserved or dried.  The wonderful thing about the fruit is they do not ripen all at the same time and can be harvested over a period.  They produce so much fruit you won’t be able to eat it all. A small ornamental tree great for your edible landscape along the back of your garden or lot.  They love hot dry areas in full sun.  Once established, they are very drought tolerant.  Insect and disease free.  Li Jujube is self-pollinating and does not need another variety to be productive (and productive they are!).  They can also be trained as low branched barrier plants as they do contain thorns.  You can use a single plant as a specimen as they do not need a partner to make fruit.   Hardy in zones 6-10, but reportedly hardy in zone 5 when the fall season is long and slow to allow the fruits to ripen late into the season. It’s time to add a Chinese Date to your edible landscape, and Li is the perfect starter plant for you.* An unusual fruit that is wildly productive * Simple to grow, and best in full sun * No disease or insect problems * Drought tolerant once established

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