We’ve been on a question to find and grow jujube trees ever since we learned about them the first year we were here. We read that they were drought and bug resistant and that’s about all we needed to know. Thanks to a blog reader, I was able to find one bare root tree in 2012 or 2013.
In February, 2016, we found more jujubes near here and bought several trees. All the jujube trees are producing right now. The ants found the Lang trees . . the fruit is so sweet, the ants just couldn’t resist. We’ll have to do something to sotp them without poisoning ourselves next year.
Jujubes
The five on the left are the ones from the first tree I got. The bigger yellow one on the right is a Lang and the brown one is a Li. The Li and Lang are so sweet, almost too sweet for me and I love sugar! They’re very crunchy and very, very similar to an apple in taste and texture. The ones on the left would be a little sweeter than a Granny Smith apple and the two on the right . . they’re like apple flavored candy.
The trees are weird. They have huge thorns. Trying to pick a jujube on a windy day means I’m going to have a scraped up arm. The branches kinda look like they’ve been folded like an accordion and then creased along the folds, and then somewhat straightened out.
Jujube Tree
Above is a photo that was taken in the winter and you can see the shape of the tree and the thorns.
We have a couple of wimpy pear trees that struggle and don’t produce, and one crab apple that is nothing like any crab apple I’ve ever seen. I think we’ll take those three out this year and replace them with more jujubes. They’re fun to grow and yummy to eat!
wanda j says
Look dangerous to me. I’ve never heard of them till you started posting about them and I’m from Texas. Are they sweet like black cherries or sweet like a plum? I don’t eat apples except honey Crisp( the best ever).
Sherrill says
I’ve got a stupid pear tree for four years now that has never even had a blossom, much less pears! I’d love to know where you get your jujubes as I’d rather have a Li or a Lang that made fruit rather than a ‘blank’ pear. I would definitely want the sweet ones!
Carolyn Sands says
This is kind of a random question from one of your earlier posts regarding smoking brisket. How often do you have to reload wood chips during the cooking process? And do you only add wood until the meat reaches a certain temperature? I’m a newbie and am trying not to ruin large cuts of meat. Thanks for any advice you can offer.
Laura H says
Do your pear trees require an opposite gender tree to cross-pollinate? Some plants will not produce “fruit” without one. (A Sego palm, for example)
dezertsuz says
I’ve followed your journey down this jujube road without ever tasting one. Some time I will have to be where there is one and taste it. I don’t think they’d grow well here with our winters. I think I’d go for the less sweet, since I do in apples. =)