I planted 3 varieties of jujube trees this last February. They were bare root, and they did fantastic, even producing a few fruit which I found tasty. Since they are drought resistant, and their pest problems are nearly non-existent, and they seemingly thrive in our alkaline soil, I've been on the lookout for more varieties than the six I've found so far. The 3 varieties I purchased last February are Li, Sherwood, and Black Sea. The 3 varieties I have on order for this February are Lang, GA-866, and So"Contorted". I've exhausted all avenues I can think of for searching for other varieties on the internet, and was wondering if anyone out there might have a source for any other varieties. I am hoping to find true varieties, grafted onto root stock, and not suckers or seedlings, because suckers and seedlings are not true to the varieties. Thank you.
Here is a link to a list you can work from as a reference and see what all they have available for Jujube varieties. CRFG Member Nurseries and Fruit Sources Here is a link that has several varieties. Should be a real good source for you to contact. MrTexas Citrus&Tree Grafting Page Jim
Hi Jim, Thank you again for the info. I had been to the CRFG web site before, but had not seen the link for the Member Nurseries and Fruit Sources, so I'll delve into that wealth of information. I had chatted with Mr. Citrus before, and I'm not sure where he's getting his varieties. I suspect there's a local garden club that's swapping plants and perhaps even developing their own varieties of Jujube in that region....couldn't say for sure though, I wasn't able to find out. I'll check out the links on the CRFG web site though, that sounds promising! Thanks again, Dee
I think Mr.Texas gave a clue as to where he is getting his wood. Sometimes it is better to start out collecting from sources close to home and then once we have a idea what we really want and also have a better idea where this may take us later, then we can branch out and get wood for grafting or bring in trees from the same or similar sources the close to home collector is getting his or her wood and plants from. It is so much easier to compare what we have to someone near us rather than rely on people a fair distance away from us that are out of state but the CRFG people get my highest recommendation for these types of plants. They are rather passionate about many of the plants listed. The list and cross references to various fruits in the CRFG is a veritable treasure trove. What you have to be careful of is that other than a select few Jujubes such as Li and Lang, the old standards, there might not be a whole lot of difference in the rest other than perhaps SO with a little more contortion to the limbs as compared to the rest. It is better to see the trees in person prior to ordering them online but if you feel the need to order online then stay with reputable nurseries that have been in the business for a while. Some of the nurseries listed in that link are collector nurseries in which they started out as collectors first and I give them a much higher rating over nurseries that are selling plants just to make a living. The nurseries that sell on the side just to maintain their collections and help sustain their collective spirit are generally the most reputable and more reliable to deal with, especially with such rare and hard to obtain fruits that are referenced in that CRFG link. Jim
Oh my goodness :o) There it is, you're absolutely right! Mr. Texas Citrus DOES give away his source for jujube varieties, at least one of them anyway. I matched the name up to the link you sent me for CRFG, and I've already emailed to find out if they still sell jujubes. I'm amazed that more Texas gardeners haven't been growing jujubes. They seem so incredibly adapted here. My only problem has been how to keep the deer from munching on the trees. I've come up with a solution - T posts and a 3' diameter cage around each tree. That seems to be working well for now. FYI, for any other potential jujube growers that might be reading this post, Mr Texas Citrus highly recommended picking the jujube fruit in the early morning, that it was more tasty and juicy then.
I have been searching on the web for several days on where to get ANY variety of jujube besides Li & Lang. I, and others I am sure, would really appreciate if you post your sources. I have checked out the CRFG recommended nurseries, and have only found Li & Lang listings. Obviously you have figured it out better than I. Would you share please? Thank you so very much! Gail
I'm sorry that I didn't reply more quickly, Gail! I haven't logged onto this web site in a few weeks. I just saw your question this evening, and I hope you find my answer. It is as Lucky P said, Roger Meyer is my new contact for Jujube varieties. If you'll follow Shep's link above for CRFG Member Nurseries, you'll find that one of the members is Roger Meyer. Email him and tell him you're interested in purchasing varieties of Jujube and he'll email you a list of the MANY varieties and prices. Also, if you go to http://www.burntridgenursery.com, they have a few varieties, Li, Lang, GA-866, Sherwood, Black Sea, and So. I've ordered all the varieties that Burntridge has available, and I haven't been disappointed yet, the Li, Sherwood, and Black Sea varieties that I planted last year have done very well. All the other Jujubes I've purchased, I've only just received and planted last week, so I can't tell you anything about those yet. Good luck!
Roger Meyer at exoticfruit@95net.com has imported some newer varieties and has about 30 plus varieties for sale, scionwood or rootstocks or grafted trees. Clifford England of England's Orchard and Nursery has a few jujubes he is at www.nuttrees.net. There is a list of a lot of jujubes varieties at www.oakcreekorchard.com. What you must keep in mind is that jujube varieties were developed over several thousand years in China to met the soil and climate conditions of each small area they are grown in so some varieties will be good for you and some will not depending on your area conditions. Some varieties are for fresh eating and some are for processing or drying. Li is a dual purpose variety but mostly fresh eating, Lang is for drying or processing. Honey Jar is for fresh eating. Chico (GI 7-62) is another dual purpose variety but a good one for fresh eating. Some varieties are more productive than others, Lang is considered the tree with the largest production (of the common varieties), Sherwood is not as productive, Li is in between these as to production. Mu and some others are just not very productive at all. So pick carefully what varieties you order. I would recommend that you order Roger Meyers Sourcebook for jujubes, just ask when you contact him.
