A recent article here about rare backyard fruits described my first experiences with the uncommon jujube fruit, which is also known as the Chinese Date.

No, I wasn’t impressed with this odd tree fruit when I tasted it for the very first time. But despite the so-so encounter with that initial jujube fruit, I was determined to keep an open mind about the worthiness of planting a jujube tree in the backyard orchard or landscape.

Growing Support for Jujube Fruits

My optimism increased when I received a favorable jujube comment from Ben, a member of the California Rare Fruit Growers who painted a rosier picture of the jujube and suggested that the fruits which I had sampled may have been well past their prime. So I figured that I would give them a second chance but hardly expected that the opportunity would arrive as soon as it did. (more…)