Scientific name | USDA Zones |
Eriobotrya bengalensis | 9/10 |
Eriobotrya cavaleriei | 8/9/10 |
Eriobotrya deflexa | 9/10/11 |
Eriobotrya elliptica | 8/9/10 |
Eriobotrya fragrans | 5/8/9/10/11 |
Eriobotrya henryi | 9/10 |
Eriobotrya japonica | 8/9/10 |
Eriobotrya malipoensis | 10 |
Eriobotrya obovata | 9 |
Eriobotrya prinoides | 8/9/10 |
Eriobotrya salwinensis | 9 |
Eriobotrya seguinii | 9/10 |
Eriobotrya serrata | 9/10 |
Eriobotrya tengyuehensis | 9/10 |
Sources | |
Atlas of Woody Plants in China: Distribution and Climate, Volume 1 | https://books.google.at/books?id=rXTGyOlDjdoC&pg=PA515#v=onepage&q&f=false (https://books.google.at/books?id=rXTGyOlDjdoC&pg=PA515#v=onepage&q&f=false) |
China Plant Hardiness Zone Map | https://www.backyardgardener.com/garden-forum-education/hardiness-zones/china-hardiness-zone-map/ (https://www.backyardgardener.com/garden-forum-education/hardiness-zones/china-hardiness-zone-map/) |
But in case you want to breed a Eriobotrya, that is as hardy as possible, you should also choose a Loquat cultivar, which is as hardy as possible.japanese genebank NARO has several accessions of Eriobotrya. if there is no import restriction they can send worldwide.
How do you get accessions via bgci? Do they send seeds or cuttings? Do you have rootstocks?
So I wrote the corresponding author of the paper "Identification of interspecific hybrids between loquat (E. japonica) and bengal loquat (E. bengalensis)" and asked him about the progress of the project. While he is already working in another area, he sent me a link to a news article.
Original: https://sichuan.scol.com.cn/yaxw/201806/56299857.html
Google Translate: https://translate.google.at/translate?sl=zh-CN&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fsichuan.scol.com.cn%2Fyaxw%2F201806%2F56299857.html
Apparently the hybrid trees mentioned in the paper have already flowered and fruited twice and produced tasty loquats. From what I've understood via Google/Bing Translate, they flower in March (the text also mentions April?) and produce fruit in June. Their current temporary cultivar name is "Spring Blossoms" loquat ('春花'枇杷) and the trees are located at the scientific research park of Sichuan Agricultural University. The team is currently trying to graft them on regular loquat cultivars. Can anybody who speaks Chinese confirm (regarding April)?
So I guess there are spring-blooming loquats now :D
Wow, that sounds great! March is still to early (ad least in zone 7a), but it`s a huge step in the right direction. Thank you very much for informing you about the progress of the project.
Just in case does someone ever tried to graft on Crataegus and other rootstocks?
@Patanax
Yes, maybe they would flower later if it would be to cold in march. I haven`t thought about this. But maybe if there would be a warm and sunny period for a few weeks in march, they would think: „Oh, the winter is over, the cold temperatures are gone”, and would start flowering. These flowers would then get completely destroyed, when the warmer weeks would be over, and it would get cold again.
This hybrid is maybe not hardy enough. (Since it`s probably a cross of a subtropical/southern group cultivar with E. bengalensis).
Backcrossing with E. japonica is maybe not such a good idea, because all E. japonica flower in winter. So the cross would probably flower in between the two parents, therefore in February or so. (The flowering time would be developed in the false direction). On the opposite a backcross with E. fragrans or E. elliptica would be a good idea.
(By the way, what do you mean with: „It would also be interesting to try a similar cross with one of the cold-hardier spring-blooming species”? Do you mean to cross E. japonica with one of the cold hardy species, or do you mean to cross the Spring Blossoms hybrid (japonica x bengalensis) with one of the cold hardy species?)
And one last question, do you know how he was able to accomplish that his hybrid flowers in march? (Since E. bengalensis flowers Nov-Feb, and E. japonica normally flowers in late autumn or winter). Did he selected the hybrids for late blooming?
I don't know how flowering time is regulated in the genes in loquat and what determines if a cross has the flowering time of either one of the parents or a different time altogether, but I wouldn't assume that all crosses would flower in e.g. February as that is the middle between the parents. If that were true, then creating the Spring Blossoms hybrid would not have worked in the first place.
We only want one trait from E. bengalensis, which is its spring-blooming habit. It's less hardy than E. japonica and I don't know if it produces desireable fruit. A backcross with E. japonica would ensure good edibility, better hardiness, and less unrelated E. bengalensis genes. In the offspring between the hybrid and E. japonica there would surely be winter-blooming plants, but the question is if there are still some that flower in the spring. Those would be superior plants, which are even closer to E. japonica while still keeping the valuable spring-blooming habit.
I would not cross the hybrid with other wild relatives which further decreases edibility and deviates from regular loquat. A complex hybrid with many different species and a majority of wild genes doesn't seem neccessary when a first generation hybrid with E. japonica already has the spring-blooming trait. I'd rather cross a northern E. japonica cultivar with E. fragrans, E. elliptica or E. petiolata if I have access to those.
I also found sources that state that E. bengalensis flowers in the winter, but according to the paper, they chose E. bengalensis as a hybrid partner for E. japonica particulary because it flowers in the spring. I don't know why e.g. Flora of China states that they flower in the winter... ???
After long searching I found this article: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287594421_%27Piera%27_A_new_everflowering_loquat_variety (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287594421_%27Piera%27_A_new_everflowering_loquat_variety)
It talks about the (algerian) Loquat variety called „Piera”, which blooms and ripens fruit throughout the whole year.
This trait could make it possible to grow Loquat in colder zones. I also think that this cultivar could cope with our winters, since it`s a pure E. japonica (not crossed with cold sensitive species like E. bengalensis).
Until now I could not find this cultivar, but if more people search for it, the chance to find it is much higher.
I also came across this paper but was unable to find much other information on the cultivar. Sadly even the paper itself is behind a paywall. But now I found a description of the cultivar on the website of a Spanish loquat germplasm bank. It seems to confirm its everflowering habit:
http://www.ivia.gva.es/documents/161862582/163110574/EJ081_Piera.pdf/4573833b-5f12-43e2-922a-98466ec6881b (http://www.ivia.gva.es/documents/161862582/163110574/EJ081_Piera.pdf/4573833b-5f12-43e2-922a-98466ec6881b)
http://www.ivia.gva.es/ca/banco-de-germoplasma-de-nispero (http://www.ivia.gva.es/ca/banco-de-germoplasma-de-nispero)
The cultivar is grown in Italy and Spain, so maybe someone could send us scion wood or potted plants. I will try contacting some nurseries in south tyrol and ask them if they have access to it.
I also asked for scions here: http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=31185 (http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=31185)
Is there a chance to ask IVIA for it?Yes, we can contact them and ask them if they could for example send us scions.
Is there a chance to ask IVIA for it?Yes, we can contact them and ask them if they could for example send us scions.
(I could even write them in spanish, but I`m pretty sure they also understand english)
Wow, that`s great! If „Piera” is grown in Spain and Italy, it should be much easier to find it. I will search for spanish nurseries, and try to contact people form Spain and Italy. I think we will find this cultivar soon. (I`ve just noticed that ivia says that „Piera” originated in Spain, whereas the article says it is from Algeria. But I think it is the same cultivar.)
So I wrote the corresponding author of the paper "Identification of interspecific hybrids between loquat (E. japonica) and bengal loquat (E. bengalensis)" and asked him about the progress of the project. While he is already working in another area, he sent me a link to a news article.
Original: https://sichuan.scol.com.cn/yaxw/201806/56299857.html
Google Translate: https://translate.google.at/translate?sl=zh-CN&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fsichuan.scol.com.cn%2Fyaxw%2F201806%2F56299857.html
Apparently the hybrid trees mentioned in the paper have already flowered and fruited twice and produced tasty loquats. From what I've understood via Google/Bing Translate, they flower in March (the text also mentions April?) and produce fruit in June. Their current temporary cultivar name is "Spring Blossoms" loquat ('春花'枇杷) and the trees are located at the scientific research park of Sichuan Agricultural University. The team is currently trying to graft them on regular loquat cultivars. Can anybody who speaks Chinese confirm (regarding April)?
So I guess there are spring-blooming loquats now :D
I may be able to get some seed of E. hookeriana - but not any time soon, probably next year. I'll also keep an eye out for any loquats growing at their Southern limit here.
Is there a nursery in Spain which is offering Piera?
Hello JSea,
that's great to hear :D
Are you visiting China or the Himalaya region or do you know a botanical garden in your area that has them?
Definitely keep us updated on the progress. If you're able to aquire seeds, I'd love to buy some from you :)
Found this one on another forum:Maybe he is in the southern hemisphere.
https://citrusgrowersv2.proboards.com/thread/126/christmas-loquat?page=1&scrollTo=952 (https://citrusgrowersv2.proboards.com/thread/126/christmas-loquat?page=1&scrollTo=952)
it is Loquat "Christmas"
the owner says it flowers in spring
With these papers in mind, I've been looking at the different genera which are closely related to Eriobotrya. The most closely related genera according to several papers are Rhaphiolepis, Heteromeles, Photinia and Stranvaesia.
I've heard you can graft loquat on firethorn. I'm gonna try it eventually. There's a wild firethorn bush down the street from me if there's any interest in the seeds. Berries on it now. Have a few growing from last year's seeds for my own projects. Be awesome to have a severely dwarfed but yet highly productive quality fruiting loquat.
Are there sources for Novak and Shambala in Europe?