Jujube
Scientific Name: Ziziphus Jujuba
Common Name: Jujube, Chinese Date
Plant Family: Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn family)
Etymology: The scientific name "Ziziphus" is derived from the Arabic name "zizouf" for the jujube fruit.
Traditional Uses
- The leaves, fruit, and bark are used extensively in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine, as well as in India and Africa.
- The dried fruit can be used as a coffee substitute.
- Young leaves can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable.
Edible Parts
Fruit
Gathering and Using
The fruit can be eaten fresh or dried. It can also be smoked, cooked, baked, juiced, made into jams, jellies, vinegars, pickles, and candied. The dried fruit can be ground into a powder.
Permaculture Functions and Considerations
Canopy tree for small forest garden, sub-canopy (understory), general insect nectar plant, shade tree, windbreak, hedge, erosion control.
Habitat
Jujube trees can tolerate a wide variety of soil conditions and prefer full sun.
How to Identify
Jujube trees are small, deciduous trees or large shrubs with drooping branches and thorny stems. They have small, dark, shiny leaves and produce small fruits (0.5-2 inches in diameter) with thin, edible skin.
Wildlife Support
Jujube trees attract bees and provide nectar for them.
Additional Information
- Over 400 cultivars of jujube have been developed in many parts of Asia.
- The tree can be propagated through suckering, division, or seed.
- It has a fast growth rate and can reach a height of 16-32 feet.