The loquat tree (Eriobotrya japonica) is an evergreen tropical tree that produces sweet, delicious fruit. In the right conditions, it's an excellent tree to grow. Grown either as a loquat tree or a shrub, this fruiting plant is an interesting one. A relative of the rose, it makes small fruits that taste like a blend of peaches, citrus, and mango. It has a honey note.
But most people have never tasted it and know virtually nothing about this unusual fruit or the lushly-tropical tree it grows on!
I will fix that because loquats are delicious, nutritious, and fun to grow if you’re in the right climate to do it. These evergreen trees are a beautiful ornamental species, and with fresh fruit, it’s worth growing!With an average top height of 30 feet, it can become a sizeable evergreen tree. However, it’s more commonly kept in the 10 to 15-foot range by commercial growers for ease of maintenance and harvesting. At the 10-foot height, it is treated more like a dense, tree-like shrub.
While as many as 800 cultivars are available, they are all the same base species. Loquats are also called the Japanese plum tree, Chinese plum, or Japanese medlar. In China the tree and its fruit are called Pipa.The loquat tree (Eriobotrya japonica) is native to southeastern China and possibly parts of southern Japan. It thrives in subtropical to mild temperate regions and has been cultivated in its native areas for thousands of years. The tree is particularly well-suited to regions with warm, sunny climates and moderate rainfall.
Over time, it has spread to other parts of Asia, the Mediterranean, and subtropical regions worldwide. The loquat is now widely naturalized in many areas.The loquat tree (Eriobotrya japonica) is native to southeastern China and possibly parts of southern Japan. It thrives in subtropical to mild temperate regions and has been cultivated in its native areas for thousands of years. The tree is particularly well-suited to regions with warm, sunny climates and moderate rainfall.
Over time, it has spread to other parts of Asia, the Mediterranean, and subtropical regions worldwide. The loquat is now widely naturalized in many areas.The loquat tree (Eriobotrya japonica) is native to southeastern China and possibly parts of southern Japan. It thrives in subtropical to mild temperate regions and has been cultivated in its native areas for thousands of years. The tree is particularly well-suited to regions with warm, sunny climates and moderate rainfall.
Over time, it has spread to other parts of Asia, the Mediterranean, and subtropical regions worldwide. The loquat is now widely naturalized in many areas.The tree has a rounded or spreading crown and dense foliage. The leaves are large, leathery, and dark green with a glossy upper surface and a slightly hairy underside.
Loquat trees produce fragrant, white to cream-colored flowers in late autumn or early winter, which develop into clusters of golden-yellow to orange fruit. The fruits are small, oval, or pear-shaped, with a sweet and tangy flavor. They contain one to four glossy brown seeds.
In traditional Japanese and Chinese medicine, the fruit and the leaves of the loquat plum fruit tree are used for multiple different purposes. The Chinese use the fresh fruit to make a syrup to ease coughs. The leaves are used in Japan to make biwa cha, a beverage which is believed to help with skin conditions and help with bronchitis or other respiratory illnesses.
Both the leaves and the seeds have small amounts of cyanogenic glycosides that release cyanide when digested. However, small amounts of these compounds rarely have any effect. It’s still good to avoid eating the seeds or the leaves, and to keep them away from children and pets.