Jujube
Scientific Name: Ziziphus Jujuba
Common Name: Jujube, Chinese Date
Plant Family: Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn family)
Etymology: Jujube comes from the Latin jujube meaning a date-like fruit. Zizyphus comes from the Greek zizyphon (Asiatic tree with a fruit like a date).
Traditional Uses
- Ancient communities in Japan and India utilized the jujube to treat digestive issues and anxiety.
Medicinal Uses
The fruits are high in Vitamin C and the various parts of the tree have been used in herbal remedies for insomnia, fever, and anemia amongst others. It is believed the Jujube fruits can help in weight gain and bone strengthening.
Edible Parts
The fruits are edible and are ripe in the late summer and fall once they turn from green to brown. They taste like a sweet apple and can also be dried and eaten later, like a date. The leaves and bark can be brewed into tea.
Gathering and Using
Jujube fruits can be gathered in the late summer and early fall or left on the tree to dry out on its own and be collected slightly later. Leaves and bark can be collected in the spring and fall.
Permaculture Functions and Considerations
A great tree for edible fruits that are like a date, the jujube can be an addition to many edible forests. Early blossoms are a benefit to pollinators. One issue is suckering that can occur with a Jujube that can start to take over an area, but careful maintenance can prevent this if it becomes a problem.
Habitat
Jujube trees can tolerate a wide variety of soil conditions and prefer full sun.
How to Identify
1/4-1/2-inch thorned leafstalk base, with egg-shaped green leaves that have 3 main veins. This is typically a small tree or large shrub. Tiny green flowers from March-May give way to a reddish-brown fruit. It has hairy, green twigs and a mature height of 50 feet. Jujube trees are typically found in warmer climates and do not survive above USDA 5.
Wildlife Support
Besides attracting pollinators, small mammals and songbirds may feast on the jujube fruit. In addition, the tree can serve as shelter or a nesting site for birds.
Additional Information
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It was first introduced into the United States in 1837. In Korea Jujube wood is utilized to make wood instruments. In Japan, the jujube is placed into the bedroom of a newlywed couple as a sign of fertility.