One really great subtropical fruit related to apples, pears, and
peaches that grows well in our area is the loquat. Not to be mistaken for
kumquats (a type of citrus) I see the tempting orange loquat fruit displayed at
this time of year across Charlotte County landscapes. With a bit of a dry
season this year, my loquats were a smaller, but extremely sweet! Hardy,
tropical-looking and an edible ornamental, the loquat should be a small tree in
every yard.
The loquat, also known as the Japanese plum or Japanese medlar, is
really an underappreciated small tree. Originally grown in China for a thousand
years, this handsome tree was introduced to Florida around 1879 where it is
mainly a door yard fruit. While loquats are not a crop in Florida, California
actually has some small-scale commercial loquat production. Loquats can grow up
to 25 feet tall with long leaves (up to 12 inches) that are dark green and
leathery to the touch. White fragrant flowers appear from October to February
from the rounded canopy of this evergreen tree. Loquats make great trees where
overhead space is limited or as a specimen tree or a patio shade tree. While
able to tolerate partial shade, this tree will do best in full sun and
accommodates nicely to our higher pH soils.
If ornamental foliage is your main goal, try a cultivar called
'Coppertone' which has copper-colored new foliage with pale pink flowers – a
very different look! Another interesting cultivar available is
'Variegata', which has white and green variegated leaves. I have only seen this
cultivar in pictures, so it appears to be very rare. There is another
species of loquat called Eriobotrya deflexa or Bronze Loquat which has
bright red-bronze or coppery color young foliage, but small inedible fruit.
If fruit is what you are looking for, there are several selected
cultivars that provide superior tasting fruit. Keep in mind that loquats can be
easily propagated by seed. However, these plants do not produce true from seed
and may take up to six years to bear. Superior grafted varieties that produce
ripe fruit in February/March include 'Champagne' with yellow skinned,
white-fleshed, tart fruit; 'Emanuel' with mildly sweet, good flavored fruit and
'Wolfe' which is sweet-tart, with a good spicy flavor. These grafted loquats
will begin to produce in 1-2 years. Loquat fruits are excellent eaten fresh or
made into jelly, jam, preserves and pies. The oval/round to pear-shaped fruit
grows in clusters of 4-30. The loquat peel is smooth to slightly fuzzy and
light yellow to orange in color. The juicy flesh is white to orange and tastes
sweet to sub-acid. The flavor and texture reminds me somewhat of an apricot.
Watch out - there are 1-10 fairly large seeds in each of the 1-2 inch fruits.
Fruit must be tree-ripened for the best flavor. A mature tree may bear from
35-300 pounds of fruit per tree per year.
While loquats are considered somewhat “short-lived” trees living
only 20-30 years, I would recommend them for every landscape. Late
February and March starts the season for this fruit when few other fruits are
readily available. Try this tree and its tasty fruit this year! For more
information on all types of fruit trees and other gardening issues, please call
our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their
role as an Extension volunteer. Don't forget to visit our other County
Plant Clinics in the area. Please check this link for a complete list of
site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.
Resources:
Gilman, E.F. & Watson, D.G. (2016) Eriobaotrya japonica:
Loquat, UF/IFAS Extension Service.
Gilman, E.F. & Watson, D.G. (2014) Eriobotrya deflexa:
Bronze Loquat, UF/IFAS Extension Service.
Gilman, E.F. & Watson, D.G. (2016) Eriobotrya japonica
'Coppertone': 'Coppertone' Loquat, UF/IFAS
Extension Service.
Gilman, E.F. & Watson, D.G. (2016), Eriobotrya japonica
'Variegata': 'Variegata' Loquat UF/IFAS Extension Service.
Crane, J.H. and Caldeira, M.L. (2016), Loquat Growing in the
Florida Home Landscape, UF/IFAS Extension Service.
I kinda like yellow flowers more than the cliche red roses and i really enjoyed this post. It was good to read up on this so thank you for posting it.
ReplyDeleteLoquats are such an underrated fruit – they're beautiful trees and the fruit is delicious when tree-ripened. I've grown 'Champagne' and 'Wolfe' cultivars, and they both do well in subtropical climates. The fact that they flower in winter and fruit in early spring makes them a valuable addition to any landscape. Plus, the evergreen foliage adds year-round interest. I also appreciate that they're low-maintenance once established. By the way, I recently came across https://lexcasinos.com.de/ and found their content presentation very clear – it's always good when information is easy to digest.
ReplyDeleteWhile I was looking up how to care for these trees, I found myself going down a bit of a rabbit hole on different forums and websites. It's funny how one topic can lead to another. In between all the gardening tips, I even stumbled upon a site dedicated to something completely different, which was a nice break from all the soil and pruning advice. If you're ever looking for a bit of a change of pace from the usual gardening forums, a quick visit to https://friday-roll.at/ might offer a different kind of entertainment. Anyway, back to the loquats!
ReplyDeleteLoquats are such a wonderful subtropical fruit — sweet, tangy, and versatile! They're great for eating fresh, making jams, or adding to desserts. For more gardening and fruit-growing tips, check out superbet casino . Have you ever grown loquats in your garden?
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great introduction to loquats — I love that they're both ornamental and productive, and the idea of having a small tree that provides sweet fruit in late winter/early spring when not much else is in season is really appealing. The grafted varieties like 'Champagne' and 'Wolfe' sound delicious, and I appreciate the tip about fruit needing to be tree-ripened for the best flavor. If you're interested in more subtropical gardening tips or fruit tree recommendations, duospin has some other useful resources worth checking out.
ReplyDeleteLoquats are such an underrated fruit tree! It’s amazing how one small tree can add beauty to a garden while also providing fresh, flavorful fruit. I love that they are easy to grow, attractive year-round, and can be enjoyed in so many ways, from eating fresh to making jams and desserts. This is a great reminder that sometimes the most interesting plants are the ones we overlook. I also came across https://pocketwin.org.uk/ while browsing different websites recently, and it was an interesting find. Thanks for sharing this wonderful gardening inspiration!
ReplyDeleteLoquat deserves way more love than it gets!
ReplyDeleteEveryone talks about apples, peaches, and oranges, but this tropical-looking tree is quietly producing delicious golden fruit while making your garden look like a vacation destination. Talk about multitasking!
Not only is the loquat easy on the eyes with its glossy green leaves and fragrant flowers, but it also rewards you with sweet, juicy fruit that tastes somewhere between an apricot and a peach. Fresh off the tree, turned into jam, baked into a pie… honestly, it's hard to go wrong.
Another bonus? It doesn't need a giant backyard to shine. Whether you're planting it as a feature tree, adding shade to your patio, or simply looking for something a little different, a loquat brings both beauty and flavor to the landscape.
Sure, you'll have to dodge a few large seeds, but that's a small price to pay for a harvest that can keep your fruit bowl full for weeks. Sometimes the most underrated plants end up becoming your absolute favorites.
If you're thinking about adding something unique to your garden, the loquat might just be the hidden gem you've been searching for.
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