The Jujube, Chinese Date, or Tsao () is a small deciduous tree or shrub in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae. Its scientific name is Ziziphus zizyphus, synonym Z. jujuba. It is native to China, where it has also been cultivated for over 4,000 years. The tree can reach a height of 5 to 12 m, is ornamental, with shiny-green leaves, and sometimes thorns. The many inconspicuous flowers are small, greenish or white, and produce an olive-sized fruit that is a drupe.
The early-picked fruit is smooth-green, and resembles the consistency and taste of an apple, but as it matures more, the color darkens to purplish-black and it becomes quite wrinkled, when it tastes like a date, hence the name Chinese date. There is a single hard stone, similar to an olive stone.
The tree tolerates a wide range of temperatures, though it requires hot summers for good fruiting. Unlike most of the other species in the genus, it tolerates fairly cold winters, surviving temperatures down to about -15°C.
References
- Fruits in Warm Climates. J. F. Morton, Miami, FL: 1987.
