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Other Names:  Jujuba, Red Date, Chinese Date, Korean Date

Description:

A beautiful tree with a fine texture for the landscape, small, shiny green leaves on somewhat pendulous branches appear graceful; edible fruits in late summer; suckers aggressively, so avoid locating near flowerbeds; very spiny

Ornamental Features

Jujube is primarily grown for its highly ornamental fruit. The fruits are showy dark red drupes carried in abundance from late summer to mid fall. The fruit can be messy if allowed to drop on the lawn or walkways, and may require occasional clean-up. It has rich green deciduous foliage. The serrated oval leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color.

This plant is primarily grown as an ornamental, but it's also valued for its edible qualities. The oval sweet fruit is most often used in the following ways:

• Fresh Eating
• Preserves
• Juice-Making
• Drying

Landscape Attributes

Jujube is a multi-stemmed deciduous tree with an upright spreading habit of growth. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.

This is a high maintenance tree that will require regular care and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Suckering
• Spiny

Jujube is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Shade

Planting & Growing

Jujube will grow to be about 40 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more.

This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to dry locations, and dislikes excessive moisture. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America.