“Pear-shaped fruit that's excellent dried. Tough as nails in full desert sun.”
Background
A named Chinese cultivar; along with Li it was among the first commercial jujube cultivars introduced to the U.S. by USDA agricultural explorer Frank N. Meyer in 1908, evaluated at the Chico, California station. It remains one of the two major commercial jujube varieties in the United States, historically valued as the premier drying cultivar.
Distinguishing traits
Large pear-shaped fruit, reddish-brown when ripe; crisp and tart-sweet picked early, dries on the branch into a rich sugary 'date.' Distinctive zig-zag branch pattern and deeply fissured bark give a sculptural winter silhouette. Morning blooming type (per HortScience bloom study). Needs a pollinator such as Li for best crops.
Desert care — zone 9b
- Chill hours
- 150
- Cold hardiness
- Withstands sub-zero winters (USDA zones 5-10)
- Heat tolerance
- Withstands summer temperatures exceeding 110°F; requires long, hot summers to ripen
- Water
- Water deeply during fruit development; drought tolerant once established
- Soil
- Thrives in poor or alkaline soils; average, well-drained soil preferred
- Sun exposure
- Full sun
Where to buy
- Texas Tree Farms
- The Siebenthaler Company
- Ty Ty Nursery