Looking for something exotic to grow in your garden this year? Then why not consider growing jujube trees. With proper jujube tree care, you can enjoy these exotic fruits right from the garden. Let’s learn more about how to grow a jujube tree.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Jujube (UK ; US or ), sometimes jujuba, known by the scientific name Ziziphus jujuba and also called red date, Chinese date, and Chinese jujube, is a species in the genus Ziziphus in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae. It is often confused with the closely related Indian Jujube, Z. mauritiana. The Chinese jujube enjoys a diverse range of climates from temperate to tropical, whereas the Indian jujube is restricted to warmer subtropical and tropical climates.
It is a small deciduous tree or shrub reaching a height of 5–12 metres (16–39 feet), usually with thorny branches. The leaves are shiny-green, ovate-acute, 2–7 centimetres (3⁄4–2+3⁄4 inches) long and 1–3 cm (3⁄8–1+1⁄8 in) wide, with three conspicuous veins at the base, and a finely toothed margin. The flowers are small, 5 millimetres (1⁄4 in) wide, with five inconspicuous yellowish-green petals. The fruit is an edible oval drupe 1.5–3 cm (5⁄8–1+1⁄8 in) deep; when immature it is smooth-green, with the consistency and taste of an apple with lower acidity, maturing brown to purplish-black, and eventually wrinkled, looking like a small date. There is a single hard kernel, similar to an olive pit, containing two seeds.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Jujube thrives under full sun conditions, benefiting from abundant light to enhance its growth and fruit production. Exposure to direct sunlight for most of the day meets its optimal light intensity and duration requirements. While jujube has a degree of adaptation to partial sun, deviation from full sunlight may result in reduced vigor and lower yields.
In outdoor settings, jujube should be planted in areas with clear, unfiltered access to sunlight, avoiding shaded spots that can impede its health and development. The species demonstrates robustness against light fluctuations, with no dramatic leaf adjustments reported, maintaining steady growth when light conditions are less than ideal but sufficient.
Watering
Jujube thrives in warm, arid conditions, reflecting its origins. This species is drought-tolerant and prefers a dry environment to flourish. Regular watering should be moderated to once every 1-2 weeks, ensuring the soil dries out between sessions. Jujube is often cultivated outdoors due to its resilience and adaptability to various climates; however, it particularly excels in regions where it can mimic its native hot and dry climate by basking in full sun exposure with well-draining soil.
Fertilizing
For jujube, utilize balanced nutrition fertilizers for ideal growth. Biannual fertilization, during spring prep and post-harvest, aligns with growth phases. Apply as per product instructions but avoid over-fertilization to prevent root burn. Fertilizing jujube boosts health, enhances fruiting, and fortifies against stress. Seasonally adjust quantities: lighter in spring, heavier post-harvest. Dilution is key for young shoots’ safety. With seasonal variation in mind, ensuring proper dosage and application will optimize jujube’s vigor and yield.
Propagation
Jujube thrives with Spring and Winter propagation, preferably using grafting and layering techniques. This plant offers moderate propagation difficulty. Observe for signs of vigorous growth and formed roots to ensure successful propagation.
Transplanting
The prime time to transplant jujube is late spring to early summer, when warmer temperatures encourage root growth. Select a sunny, well-draining location for successful transplanting. Remember to keep the soil consistently moist and provide gentle care to help jujube thrive.
Repotting
Repot jujube, a deciduous tree with spiny branches, every 2-3 years to accommodate growth. Do this in early spring before new leaves appear. Choose a deep pot as jujube develops a taproot, ensuring efficient drainage. After repotting, water moderately, and place in full sun for robust health. Handle with care, as jujube might be spiky!
III. Uses and Benefits
- Traditional Chinese medicine
The fruit and its seeds are used in Chinese and Korean traditional medicine, where they are believed to alleviate stress, and traditionally for anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory purposes and sedation, antispastic, antifertility/contraception, hypotensive and antinephritic, cardiotonic, antioxidant, immunostimulant, and wound healing properties. It is among the fruits used in Kampo. Jujube, along with Gan Cao, is used in Chinese medicine to harmonize and moderate other herbs.
Jujube fruit is also combined with other herbs to treat colds and influenza. The fruit contains many different healthy properties like vitamins, amino acids. The use of the fruit can be helpful for spleen diseases in Chinese medicine.
- Culinary uses
The freshly harvested, as well as the candied dried fruit, are often eaten as a snack, or with coffee. Smoked jujubes are consumed in Vietnam and are referred to as black jujubes. A drink can be made by crushing the pulp in water. Both China and Korea produce a sweetened tea syrup containing jujube fruit in glass jars, and canned jujube tea or jujube tea in the form of teabags. To a lesser extent, jujube fruit is made into juice and jujube vinegar (called 枣 醋 or 红枣 醋 in Chinese). They are used for making pickles (কুলের আচার) in west Bengal and Bangladesh. In Assam it is known as “Bogori” and the pickle, Bogori aachar (বগৰি আচাৰ), is famous. In China, a wine made from jujube fruit is called hong zao jiu (红枣酒).
Sometimes pieces of jujube fruit are preserved by storing them in a jar filled with baijiu (Chinese liquor), which allows them to be kept fresh for a long time, especially through the winter. Such jujubes are called zui zao (醉枣; literally “drunk jujube”). The fruit is also a significant ingredient in a wide variety of Chinese delicacies (e.g. 甑糕 jing gao, a steamed rice cake).
In Vietnam and Taiwan, fully mature, nearly ripe fruit is harvested and sold on the local markets and also exported to Southeast Asian countries. The dried fruit is used in desserts in China and Vietnam, such as ching bo leung, a cold beverage that includes the dried jujube, longan, fresh seaweed, barley, and lotus seeds.
In Korea, jujubes are called daechu (대추) and are used in daechucha and samgyetang.
In Croatia, especially Dalmatia, jujubes are used in marmalades, juices, and rakija (fruit brandy).
On his visit to Medina, the 19th-century English explorer, Sir Richard Burton, observed that the local variety of jujube fruit was widely eaten. He describes its taste as like “a bad plum, an unripe cherry, and an insipid apple”. He gives the local names for three varieties as “Hindi (Indian), Baladi (native), Tamri (date-like).” A hundred years ago, a close variety was common in the Jordan valley and around Jerusalem. The bedouin valued the fruit, calling it nabk. It could be dried and kept for winter or made into a paste which was used as bread.
In Persian cuisine, the dried drupes are known as annab, while in neighboring Armenia, it is commonly eaten as a snack, and is known as unab. Confusion in the common name apparently is widespread. The unab is Z. jujuba. Rather, ber is used for three other cultivated or wild species, e.g., Z. spina-christi, Z. mauritiana and Z. nummularia in parts of India and is eaten both fresh and dried. The Arabic name sidr is used for Ziziphus species other than Z. jujuba.
Traditionally in India, the fruits are dried in the sun and the hard seeds removed, after which the dried flesh is pounded with tamarind, red chillies, salt, and jaggery. In some parts of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, fresh whole ripe fruit is crushed with the above ingredients and sun-dried to make cakes called ilanthai vadai or regi vadiyalu (Telugu). It is also commonly consumed as a snack.
In Northern and Northeastern India the fruit is eaten fresh with salt and chilli flakes and also preserved as candy, jam or pickle with oil and spices.
In Madagascar, jujube fruit is eaten fresh or dried. People also use it to make jam. A jujube honey is produced in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.
Italy has an alcoholic syrup called brodo di giuggiole. In Senegal and The Gambia, Jujube is called Sii dem or Ceedem, and the fruit is used as snack and also turned into a dried paste favoured as a sweetmeat by schoolchildren. More recently it has been processed and sold in Dakar by women.
In Australia jujube beer is made.
The commercial jujube candy popular in movie theaters originally contained jujube juice but now uses other flavorings.
- Other uses
In Japan, the natsume has given its name to a style of tea caddy used in the Japanese tea ceremony, due to the similar shape. Its hard, oily wood was, along with pear, used for woodcuts to print books starting in the 8th century and continuing through the 19th in China and neighboring countries. As many as 2000 copies could be produced from one jujube woodcut.
The timber is sometimes used for small items, such as tuning pegs for instruments. Select grade Jujube timber is often used in traditional Asian instruments for fingerboard, pegs, rests & soundposts, ribs & necks etc. It has a medium to hard density similar to luthier grade European maple and has excellent tonal qualities. Jujube Wood can be found in local folk instruments from Ceylon/India thru to China/Korea; it is also commonly used in China in violin & cello making for overseas export, though usually stained black to imitate the look of ebony. Luthier grade jujube wood planes and carves beautifully.
IV. Harvesting and Storage
It is extremely easy when it comes time for harvesting jujube fruit. When jujube fruit has turned dark brown, it will be ready to harvest. You can also leave the fruit on the tree until it fully dries. Cut the stem when harvesting rather than pulling the fruit from the vine. Fruit should be firm to the touch. The fruit is best stored between 52 and 55 degrees F. (11-13 C.) in a green fruit bag.
