Having held my blossoms throughout the entire winter, as spring planting time approaches I can’t keep silent any longer. It is time for loquats to be seen and represented in the home garden. Even though we are native to China, we were introduced to the Carolinas in the 1860s prospering in USDA hardiness zones 7–10.
While some landscape designers recognize our excellence as a specimen or accent plant against an architectural background like the state house, university horseshoe buildings, or cathedral, most homeowners have missed out on our outstanding features. In winter we stand tall ( 15’– 25’) among the best company of glossy evergreen ornamental magnolias, hollies, camellias, and tea olives. We adapt to and can tolerate extremes of soils, sun and shade. My bark ages to a beautiful cinnamon– brown.
The foliage, flowers, and fruit of loquats are unique. My thick serrated lanceolate leathery corrugated leaves up to 12 inches long and four inches wide are dark green on top and furry brown beneath like the underside of southern magnolia leaves.
The scientific name for loquat is Eriobotrya japonica.
Small fragrant off– white five–petaled flowers born in clusters of hairy terminal panicles open in September and remain through January. In greenhouses or outdoors in hardiness zones 9 and above with mild winters, edible yellow– orange oval or pear– shaped fruits ripen from April to June. Fruit is eaten raw, stewed, poached, or made into jelly, jam, and syrup. I’m in the Rose family, and my closest kin is the apple.
Once planted in a welldrained site, I grow rapidly to screen or shade an area. I look spectacular espaliered or growing in a large container. I never need pruning except to trim broken or dead branches. Pests and diseases are few and far between unlike many fruit trees.
Although my native species is considered superb, horticulturists around the world have attempted to improve upon my attributes for fruit production. California is this country’s leading commercial producer of loquat fruit.
Fragrant loquat flowers bloom from September to January, unusual for a fruit tree.
A large number of varieties are on the market. To shorten my stance, they grafted me to quince. Hybridizers have changed the color, shape, size, acidity, number of seeds and flavor of my fruit. They have created variety names to attract consumers: ‘Champagne’ for fruit flavor, ‘Coppertone’ for copper–colored foliage, and ‘Variegata’ for white variegated leaves. TyTy nursery in Georgia is a nearby mail–order source but check at local full service garden centers first.
Loquats make exceptional lawn and shade trees for the midland home garden.
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