Honey Jar Jujube

Looking for an unusual addition to your home orchard for both fresh eating and dried fruit? Prefer to make organic snacks for your family, rather than buy them from a store?

Want an easy-care tree that can handle extreme cold, heat and just about everything in between?

Consider the Honeyjar Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba ‘Honey Jar’) as a fun, memorable tree to add to your collection. This beautiful edible ornamental has many uses in the landscape.

It makes a wonderful shade tree when allowed to grow to full size. Then just enjoy the fruit as a tasty bonus. The balanced growth of the Honey Jar Jujube tree makes it a great choice as an accent tree, for instance, to bring a full, wispy, glossy green accent to a dull corner of the yard.

The Jujube is also a tremendous barrier plant. Plant along a fence to discourage unwanted visitors. The Honey Jars thorns can be quite a surprise to an unknowing intruder. For yourself, the knowledge that there are thorns is all that is needed to avoid them. Just take care and use garden gloves while you harvest the delicious fruit.

Its narrow-pointed bright green leaves and slim branchlets give the tree a very wispy, graceful look. The Jujube plant grows in many different soil types as well as different climate zones. Honey JarJujube’s need fast-draining soil, so build a raised planting bed at 12 to 18 inches high and 3 feet square if you need to improve your drainage in a location.

Self-fruitful means it won’t need a pollinator (although will produce more if another Jujube is nearby…) so enjoy one tree or select another partner like the popular Li or Sugarcane Jujube. Increase your crop and extend the fruiting time. Give it some water during the growing season to improve fruit size

The trees are found throughout the Asian countries. Grown and loved for many thousands of years in China, this fruit tree gives you a “two in one.” Eat the fresh fruit when it starts turning yellow with red spots (just before ripe) for a crunchy, apple-like taste and texture. Or, wait until it’s fully ripened (red and wrinkled) for a sweet date-like experience.

The Jujube has been dried and stored by the Chinese for over 8000 years. Called the Chinese Red Date, it is considered a super food with the fruits medicinal value being treasured in Asian and Middle Eastern cultures. The three primary ways to enjoy the Honey Jar is, fresh eating, dried or sweetened (candied).

Dry or dehydrate to create this ancient culinary wonder called the Chinese Red Date. You’ll love the taste, and benefit from the extreme punch of Vitamin B and C. and packed with trace minerals as well as a great source for antioxidants. The health benefits of this super food cannot be understated.

What a great harvest for your winter baking needs! When dried the Jujube can replace raisins, or traditional dates and is better for you.

The ancient way of enjoying the Jujube is as a tea, very simply boil 10 pitted dried red dates in water and serve. No need to add sugar. Those experienced with serving Jujube teas are known to add ginger, brown sugar or other flavor enhancing ingredients. With your own tree you can experiment with creating your own unique Jujube tea.

The Honey Jar Jujube can be held to any size with pruning. Unless being grown as a shade tree keep the plants under 10 feet for ease of harvest

The Jujube is pest and disease free so the maintenance is primarily size control some minor limb thinning to keep the canopy open for air circulation.

The Honey Jar Jujube is truly an ancient wonder that has become a modern marvel. The versatility of this plant and the tremendous health benefits say that this fruit will be with us for many years to come.