| Chinese poets spoke about the wonderful jujube | | | | Some gardeners describe jujube as tasting like |
| in 600 BC. The fruit of the jujube has been used | | | | dates flavored with apples and chocolate. The pulp |
| in ancient Chinese medicine for many nutritional | | | | of the jujube fruit is centered around a core that |
| remedies for 2500 years. Jujubes were used by | | | | contains two seeds. The pulp is sweet, soft, and |
| Gerard in Europe as a medicinal herb in the 1600's | | | | yellow in color, with some cultivars being white |
| to treat ailments of the kidneys, lungs, and liver. | | | | when ripe. |
| The Chinese jujube was brought to America by | | | | After being cured-out and dried, the jujube |
| Oriental immigrants who built railroads in Arizona in | | | | shrivels up into a wrinkled delicacy. The fruit is |
| the early 1900's. Hundreds of grafted jujube | | | | commonly treated similar to raisin production to |
| cultivars are available in China, and a large number | | | | preserve for consumption at a later time. |
| of these trees were imported by the USDA in | | | | The jujube tree is prized for it's delicious tasting |
| 1908 and planted at the Experiment Station at | | | | fruit, the bright-green waxy leaves, and the |
| Tifton, Georgia, for testing, according to Otis | | | | fascinating silhouette of the tree. The leaves turn |
| Woodard. | | | | bright yellow before they shed after fall frosts. |
| Lowell F. Locke of the USDA in 1924 introduced | | | | Jujube trees thrive in sandy, poor grade soils such |
| the improved jujube (Chinese Date) to the | | | | as those found in the Southeast, and the trees |
| western U.S., where it was described as "They | | | | easily flourish in dry conditions; however, a little |
| have a delicious fruit with a smooth brown skin | | | | well-placed fertilizer produces amazing results in a |
| and ivory fruit. You eat them skin and all. It was | | | | short time. There are many species of jujube |
| not firm as a peach, more like an apple. I made | | | | that have found use all over the world, including |
| jams and jellies from them and also candied | | | | the continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa. |
| them." Locke described the jujube as being cold | | | | Arab nutritionists use the leaves of the jujube |
| hardy, late flowering, and virtually frost proof. The | | | | tree to kill worms and other parasites that attack |
| trees are well adapted to dry and sandy soils and | | | | the intestinal tract and cause diarrhea. A jujube |
| will grow easily without requiring any special | | | | tree that is native to Spain, France, Italy, Syria, |
| attention. | | | | and Asia Minor is similar to the Asian jujube and |
| The Chinese jujube is native to China, Japan, and | | | | has been used medicinally as a food item in |
| much of Southeast Asia. The deciduous tree | | | | Europe, Asia Minor, and Africa. Jujubes were |
| grows to 25 feet tall, loaded with sharp spines, | | | | grown in Algeria and eaten mostly by Algerian |
| until it ages and the spines fall off as the bark is | | | | Jews in the third century to celebrate New Years |
| formed. The yellow fragrant flowers are small and | | | | Eve. |
| they mature into reddish brown oval fruits a little | | | | The Chinese believed that eating the fruit from |
| larger than an olive. New cultivars of improved | | | | the jujube tree would improve a person's stamina |
| jujubes can grow as large as a plum and can be | | | | and strength, as well as an improvement in the |
| as a round or oval shaped, ripening to a | | | | function of the liver and the immune system. |
| reddish-brown color. The jujube fruit can be eaten | | | | They believed that consumption of the jujube |
| fresh off the tree, even when there is much | | | | would mildly tranquilize a person, act to fight |
| green color on the fruit with faint reddish marks | | | | allergies, and cause a person to gain weight. |
| just developing. In dry locations the fruit will ripen | | | | Nutritionists have found that the fruit of the |
| and dry up on the tree, but in the Southeastern | | | | jujube tree contains beneficial concentrations of |
| United States, where the humidity is high, the fruit | | | | Vitamins A, B2, and C. The jujube also contains |
| must be harvested when the color change | | | | minerals necessary for health, such as |
| happens and dried in a cool room. | | | | phosphorus, calcium, and iron. |