This article was prepared with the support of UFL flower delivery. The jujube (Ziziphus jujuba), also called Chinese date or unabi, has been cultivated in China for more than 4,000 years, and hundreds of varieties are known there. It is increasingly popular in Ukraine: hardy varieties grow and fruit not only in the south but also in central regions.
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It is a deciduous tree or large shrub of the buckthorn family, 3–8 m tall. The shoots zigzag, and many varieties have paired thorns. The leaves are glossy and oval with three lengthwise veins. The jujube wakes up very late in spring, in May, when other trees are already in leaf, so beginners often think it has died. Small greenish-yellow, honey-scented flowers open in June–July, and the fruit ripens in September–October.
The fruits are drupes 2–5 cm long. They start green, develop red-brown patches and then turn fully brown. Ripe fruit tastes sweet, like an apple with a hint of date, and when slightly dried it resembles dates.
| Per 100 g of fresh fruit (USDA) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 79 kcal |
| Carbohydrate / protein / fat | 20.2 g / 1.2 g / 0.2 g |
| Vitamin C | 69 mg |
| Potassium | 250 mg |
| Calcium / phosphorus / magnesium | 21 mg / 23 mg / 10 mg |
| Iron | 0.48 mg |
| Niacin / B6 | 0.9 mg / 0.08 mg |
Fresh jujubes are a good source of vitamin C: 100 g covers about three-quarters of the daily requirement. Dried fruit contains 3–4 times more sugar and calories and less vitamin C.
Traditional Chinese medicine uses jujube fruit as a tonic and the seeds as a calming remedy for insomnia. Modern studies confirm the fruit's antioxidant properties, but there is not enough evidence that it "treats" high blood pressure, anaemia, cancer or osteoporosis, so treat jujube as a healthy fruit rather than a medicine. People with diabetes should keep its high sugar content in mind, especially in dried fruit. If you have a chronic condition, are pregnant or take medication, talk to your doctor.
The fruit is eaten fresh or dried and added to tea, stewed fruit, baking and pilaf. In China it is candied and made into jam, and in Korea it is used for daechu-cha tea.
Jujube jam: 1 kg ripe fruit, 800 g sugar, 1 litre water. Make a syrup, add the pricked fruit and simmer for 5 minutes, then leave for 6–7 hours. Remove the stones, blend the flesh, bring back to the boil and cook for 6–7 minutes. Pour into sterilised jars.
Large-fruited early and mid-season varieties suit most of Ukraine, as late ones do not ripen before the cold. Popular Chinese varieties include 'Li' and 'Lang', with fruit up to 5 cm, alongside local selections offered by Ukrainian nurseries. Buy trees suited to your region and check their hardiness: mature trees of good varieties withstand −25 to −28 °C.
Although many varieties are partly self-fertile, yields are noticeably higher with 2–3 trees of different varieties nearby.
Plant jujubes in spring, in April or early May, once hard frosts are over; autumn planting only works in the south. Choose the sunniest spot sheltered from wind, because fruit will not ripen in shade. Jujubes cannot stand waterlogging, so low-lying sites need drainage.
Dig a hole 60×60 cm and 60–80 cm deep. Add drainage at the bottom, then fertile soil with compost. Do not bury the root collar: the graft union must stay above soil level. Water well and mulch after planting.
Grafted trees in their 2nd–3rd year, own-root plants in their 3rd–4th year and seedlings after 4–6 years.
That is normal: it is one of the last trees to leaf out, in May. Check that the tissue under the bark is green.
Like fruit trees? Read about jostaberry and peach tree pruning.
Author: Maria Svitlovir
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
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