Tropical Plant "Chinese jujube"
Ziziphus jujuba

Characteristics - The Chinese jujube is an exotic fruit bearer, native to subtropical areas of China and Japan and it is occasionally cultivated in domestic orchards, of southern and southeastern Brazil. It is a deciduous tree, spinescent or non spinescent, 6-10 m tall, with basal shoots capable of vegetatively reproducing the plant. Leaves simple, chartaceous, glabrous, tri-nerved from the base, 3-6 cm long, with a petiole of about 5 mm. Flowers are small, arranged on paucifora fascicles, they form from November to January. The fruits are oblong drupes, initially green, with a firm pulp and ready to be consumed, then they turn reddish-brown, with a spongy pulp and are still edible. If they are left on the trees, they dry, becoming raisin-like, also edible but less tasty. Ripening occurs in the autumn.

Uses - The fruits are consumed in natura when green, or made into sweets.

Propagation - By seeds and by basal shoots.