Ziziphus jujuba Li

The Ziziphus jujuba 'Li' is an excellent cultivar of Jujube selected in China for its vigour, rapid fruiting, almost spineless vegetation and huge fruits. The fruit tree has a spreading habit, with branches that bend easily under the weight of the jujubes. The jujubes themselves are round, delicious, and have a tiny, tender stone or no stone at all. They can be eaten when the skin is yellowish, brown-red, or over-ripe without much change to their taste. It is a variety susceptible to the Mediterranean fruit fly—plant in autumn for a harvest from September to November starting from the 2nd year. The jujube tree needs long, hot summers to fruit well; it can withstand -15°C (5°F) once established and tolerates summer drought very well.

Treat against the medfly without fail; otherwise, the harvest will be destroyed. For this, you can use traps that are safe for biodiversity.

The Ziziphus jujuba is a small tree with thorny branches and foliage found in its wild state from China to Asia Minor, primarily on chalky, dry, clayey soil. It belongs to the family of Rhamnaceae; it is from the same family as Rhamnus alaternus (Italian buckthorn), wild buckthorn (purging buckthorn), and ceanothus. It is a self-fertile plant, capable of living for many years in the garden. The jujube tree has a robust root system, both deep and very extensive: an established plant is capable, when cut back to the ground, of producing numerous shoots emerging more than 10 m (33ft) from the base, which can be challenging to get rid of. This feature is not ideal in a small garden, but it is valuable for creating impenetrable thickets or defensive hedges to deter intruders on a large property.

The 'Li' jujube tree is a small tree with a single trunk that develops a bushy and wide crown supported by fairly flexible, more or less trailing branches. It grows quite quickly, reaching about 6.50 m (21ft) in height and 4 m (13ft) in width, depending on the growing conditions. Its bark becomes very dark and very rough with age. Its slightly thorny branches, dark brown in colour, bear, at the end of short petioles, small lanceolate, leathery leaves with finely dentate edges, 2 to 5 cm (1 to 2in) long, marked by 3 veins. The lamina is shiny on the upper side. The flowering takes place from June to August, depending on the climate, in the form of tiny yellowish to greenish flowers without petals grouped in small clusters in the axils of the leaves. They are not very visible but pleasantly fragrant, attracting many pollinating insects. Plants at least three years old will produce fruit after the flowers. The fruit is oval and fleshy drupes, measuring 4 to 5 cm (2 inches) in diameter. As they ripen, the colour changes from light green to reddish-brown. The pulp surrounding the hard stone is abundant. Over-ripe fruit has a consistency like that of a date and a slightly sweet but bland taste.

In favourable climates, the 'Li' jujube tree can be planted in an orchard and an ornamental garden alongside pomegranate, olive, fig and grapevine. If a plant is grown for reasons other than its fruit, it can be included in a hedge that serves as a living or defensive barrier. Good companions for this plant include hawthorn, firethorn, Japanese quince, and well-armed roses like Rosa rugosa or climbing 'Mermaid'. These plants require little attention once established and offer both ornamental and biodiversity benefits.