Loquat

Loquat is a large evergreen shrub or small tree in the rose family, native to China and Japan. It is also called Japanese plum. Its leathery, wrinkled leaves are coarsely toothed, and it blooms in fall with fragrant white flowers. Its pear-shaped yellow-orange fruit ripens in spring.

A typical plant grows 10 to 20 feet (3 to 6 m) tall, though it can reach 30 feet (9 m). Gardening experts list a height and width of 10 to 25 feet (3 to 8 m).

Sow loquat seeds as soon as you harvest the mature fruit, because the seeds must be sown immediately after harvest. Seedlings won’t come true to type, so their landscape performance and fruit quality will be unpredictable. Choose a site in full sun or part shade with moist, well-drained, loamy soil.

Expect a long wait for flowers: seed-grown loquats often take six to eight years to flower. Cuttings are difficult to root, so many growers take semi-hardwood cuttings in June and July or graft named cultivars onto seed-grown rootstocks. In North Carolina the plant usually doesn’t fruit because it is sensitive to cold, and blooms or fruit may not survive below 28 °F (-2 °C).

Water regularly during drought and avoid long periods of dry stress. Spread a two- to three-inch (5 to 8 cm) layer of organic mulch, and water when drought stress occurs, since summer temperatures above 95 °F (35 °C) can cause leaf scorch and dieback. Fertilize based on need and according to a soil test.

Most loquats are self-fertile, but planting a different cultivar nearby improves fruit quantity and quality. The plant is considered easy to grow and needs low maintenance.

Fire blight is the main disease concern. The bacterium infects fall flowers or young spring shoots and spreads by rain and insects. Prune out infected wood 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) below the damage and disinfect tools between cuts. Avoid heavy nitrogen fertilizer, which encourages new growth that is more prone to fire blight.

Other problems include rots, cankers, blight, scab, and leaf spot. Dropping fruit can be a litter problem where fruit sets.

Fruit takes four to five months after fertilization to ripen in spring. Pick ripe fruit, because it won’t ripen further after picking. The flesh can be eaten raw or made into jams, jellies, pies, syrups, and marmalades.

Don’t crack open and eat the seeds. They are the part of the plant that can be poisonous, and toxicity would require eating large quantities of cracked seeds.