Author Topic: Ziziphus jujuba (Chinese Jujube)  (Read 8897 times)

starch

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Ziziphus jujuba (Chinese Jujube)
« on: April 14, 2015, 01:53:14 PM »
Who has any familiarity with this tree? I was poking around on: http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/TreeList.htm, just looking through tree information and had never come across a Chinese Jujube before. It is hardy from zones 6-10, can take the heat down here, and has interesting looking fruit.

Has anyone grown this?

Right now, I am not looking to put in a tree, just 'collating data' as they say. However, as I look online, very few places seem to sell the tree, but I have found seeds at a number of sites. How likely is a seed from this tree going to produce a tree with good fruit. Does it tend to run fairly close to true to the parent (keeps most of the desirable characteristics)? Or is there a lot of variation like we expect in most seedlings?

- Mark

karpes

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Re: Ziziphus jujuba (Chinese Jujube)
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2015, 02:31:07 PM »
 I grow them and they do really well in zone 9. I got the bare root trees from Roger Myer about three years ago. These trees are very low maintenance and drought resistant. Honey jar is my favorite but I also grow sugarcane,Sherwood and Li.
 I doubt that they come true to seed since all of mine were grafted trees. I did however let a sucker sprout and bare fruit. The fruit from this sucker wasn't bad but not nearly as good as the name verities.
 The only thing that I don't like about jujubes is that they produce suckers from the roots so you have to deal with that. The suckers close to the trees have to be clipped but those farther out can just be mowed with the lawn mower.
 P.S.
 They have thorns

starch

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Re: Ziziphus jujuba (Chinese Jujube)
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2015, 02:38:05 PM »
Awesome, thanks for the feedback! Also, thanks for same named varieties, I will start looking for those. And that is a good data point too about the fruit quality from the rootstock. It is usually a crap shoot when planting seedlings, I was wondering if this species is truer to parent through seed, but it looks like no.

I hear you about root suckers. My persimmon as the same tendencies.

Thanks!
- Mark

Radoslav

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Re: Ziziphus jujuba (Chinese Jujube)
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2015, 03:17:53 PM »
I have a big tree/bush here in zone 6, it is Li 2 cultivar, I have to say, that for me, the only interestig thing on this plant is a smell of miniature flowers, the fruits which resemble mini apples are nearly tasteless something like very poor quality apple.

starch

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Re: Ziziphus jujuba (Chinese Jujube)
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2015, 04:27:25 PM »
Radoslav,

Sorry to hear that it is not a good tasting producer for you. How hot do your summers get? I wonder if that cultivar might need a lot of heat to produce sugars?
- Mark

nullzero

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Re: Ziziphus jujuba (Chinese Jujube)
« Reply #5 on: April 14, 2015, 04:50:05 PM »
They are good fruit if you have good selections. I am growing GA-866, SIHONG, Shanxi Li, and GI-762. My favorite so far are GA-866 and Shanxi Li. They taste like honey sweet apples with a drier flesh without the acid.
Grow mainly fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

starch

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Re: Ziziphus jujuba (Chinese Jujube)
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2015, 05:17:50 PM »
Thanks nullzero!
- Mark

michsu

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Re: Ziziphus jujuba (Chinese Jujube)
« Reply #7 on: April 14, 2015, 05:21:25 PM »
Li Jujube starting to flower.. plenty of fruit last year.. so it can do well in Southern CA.. picture taken about a month ago.. This is actually one of the easier trees to grow (haha, compared to things like sugar apple, cherimoya, and rollinia), so don't worry..



Here's a online store that sells them.. I have bought trees from them before..

http://www.treesofantiquity.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=51

Flowers (picture taken a few days ago)



Fruit (picture coming up soon)


« Last Edit: April 14, 2015, 05:30:36 PM by michsu »

starch

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Re: Ziziphus jujuba (Chinese Jujube)
« Reply #8 on: April 14, 2015, 05:27:36 PM »
Li Jujube starting to flower.. plenty of fruit last year.. so it can do well in Southern CA.. picture taken about a month ago.. This is actually one of the easier trees to grow (haha, compared to things like sugar apple, cherimoya, and rollinia), so don't worry..

That is good to know :) Glad to hear it is doing well in southern CA, seems like it would probably do well here too.

The tree and especially that new growth and fruit look great! And thanks for the link. Was it a good buying experience? (Good packing, tree in good condition, etc.) I have had some great experiences and some bad experiences with mail order trees. I like to get feedback if I can before trying someone new. Thanks!
« Last Edit: April 14, 2015, 05:30:44 PM by starch »
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michsu

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Re: Ziziphus jujuba (Chinese Jujube)
« Reply #9 on: April 14, 2015, 05:32:55 PM »
I got a RedHaven and Belle Of Georgia peach trees from them in 2010.. and last year and this year, there are lots of flowers coming out.. and that's about a reasonable time to get peaches.. the trees are pretty good, about 5 ft tall with multiple branches.. I just liked the fact that they had multiple branches.. you don't have a lot of online places that deliver branches coming out of the main trunk..

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« Last Edit: April 14, 2015, 05:35:32 PM by michsu »

starch

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Re: Ziziphus jujuba (Chinese Jujube)
« Reply #10 on: April 14, 2015, 05:37:24 PM »
That is excellent, thanks!
- Mark

shaneatwell

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Re: Ziziphus jujuba (Chinese Jujube)
« Reply #11 on: April 14, 2015, 09:28:54 PM »
I have a Li in the ground and I love it. Healthy, disease free, fruited its first year in the ground, you can just leave the fruit to dry on the tree and they're basically like raisins. Nice snack. Normally they're grafted on a wild suckering variety and you have to pinch off suckers. Li is one of the most common and is "seedless". If you crack open lots of stones, you can find a seed or two, but I've never had luck germinating them. Dont know about the other varieties.

Basically a care free snack fruit.
Shane

Radoslav

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Re: Ziziphus jujuba (Chinese Jujube)
« Reply #12 on: April 15, 2015, 03:25:42 AM »
Radoslav,

Sorry to hear that it is not a good tasting producer for you. How hot do your summers get? I wonder if that cultivar might need a lot of heat to produce sugars?

The problem is not a sugar level, it is sweet but tasteless. For me jujube is nothing to bite twice, when you have garden full of cherries, peaches, plums,  apricots, pears and apples.
« Last Edit: April 15, 2015, 03:28:13 AM by Radoslav »

starch

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Re: Ziziphus jujuba (Chinese Jujube)
« Reply #13 on: April 15, 2015, 09:45:34 AM »
shaneatwell

I have a Li in the ground and I love it. Healthy, disease free, fruited its first year in the ground, you can just leave the fruit to dry on the tree and they're basically like raisins. Nice snack. Normally they're grafted on a wild suckering variety and you have to pinch off suckers. Li is one of the most common and is "seedless". If you crack open lots of stones, you can find a seed or two, but I've never had luck germinating them. Dont know about the other varieties.

Basically a care free snack fruit.

Man, that sounds great!  ... I am starting to think I might have to make some space in my yard ... somewhere :) Thanks!



Radoslav

The problem is not a sugar level, it is sweet but tasteless. For me jujube is nothing to bite twice, when you have garden full of cherries, peaches, plums,  apricots, pears and apples.

I am sorry to hear that. I wonder if it might be worthwhile to change your canopy? I was poking around online and found this place that had a wide variety of jujube scionwood for sale: http://www.jujubesales.com/Jujube-Scionwood.php . I am sure you could get some scionwood from users here, but maybe not the variety. This place seems to have a lot.

The other one that I came across (now that I know what I am searching for) is this one: http://www.bayflora.com/jc1.html

"... this jujube cultivar is named for the distinctive coconut flavor of its golden brown fruit. Will set ample crops even on its own ..."

I have to say, that sounds very interesting!
- Mark

Fabio

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Re: Ziziphus jujuba (Chinese Jujube)
« Reply #14 on: January 19, 2017, 05:11:55 PM »
Here is a part of mine, I dont know the variety, the tree have a 30kgof fruit

https://postimg.cc/image/oy8o3is6b/

Luisport

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Re: Ziziphus jujuba (Chinese Jujube)
« Reply #15 on: August 17, 2018, 04:21:41 PM »
My two trees Li and Lang




fourseasonsflorida

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Re: Ziziphus jujuba (Chinese Jujube)
« Reply #16 on: August 28, 2018, 11:20:15 AM »
Anyone growing and getting consistent, good quality fruit from Chinese Jujube in Florida?  If so, I would be interested in knowing what varieties you are growing.

I had a Chinese Jujube at my last property in Central Florida.  Grew well, but never set any fruit after 1 year in the ground.  It was either grafted or grown from cutting, but no idea what cultivar it was.
Nate