Golden Nugget Loquat
Eriobotrya japonica
“Planted around the same time as the Mauritius lychee, about four years old. Gives fruit every year.”
Background
'Golden Nugget' is a clone of 'Tanaka,' a Japanese loquat cultivar that reached California, where Golden Nugget was planted between 1880 and 1900. It has also been sold under the names 'Thales' and 'Placentia.' It remains the most popular loquat in Southern California. The UA arboretum notes loquats have been cultivated in Asia for over a thousand years and reached the West in the late 1600s.
Distinguishing traits
Large, ovoid fruit with orange-yellow skin and juicy, sweet, apricot-like flesh. Good keeping quality and ships well. Vigorous, semi-spreading tree; fruit ripens late in the loquat season (spring). Self-fertile. The UA arboretum describes it as an evergreen tree or large shrub with dense, fuzzy, deeply veined foliage and white flowers that bloom in winter.
Desert care — zone 9b
- Chill hours
- Low, roughly 100 hours; fruits reliably with minimal chill.
- Cold hardiness
- Wood hardy to about 25°F (some sources say 8-10°F for the tree), but flowers and young fruit are killed below about 27°F — Phoenix freezes can wipe out a year's crop even if the tree survives. The UA arboretum lists hardiness to 15°F.
- Heat tolerance
- Excellent; thrives in full desert sun and fruits annually for Matt.
- Water
- Moderate drought tolerance once established; regular water improves fruit size and yield. The UA arboretum rates water use as moderate and warns it needs well-draining soil, being prone to root rot.
- Soil
- Adaptable — clay, sand, loam — as long as drainage is good; slightly acidic to neutral preferred.
- Sun exposure
- Full sun to partial shade.
Where to buy
- The American Fig Company
- Top Tropicals