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Loquat

Eriobotrya japonica

An evergreen tree with big, leathery leaves that blooms in fall and ripens sweet, apricot-colored fruit in late winter and spring, when little else is in season. It's tough and easy in Florida. Many seedling trees bear small fruit, so grafted cultivars are worth seeking out for larger, sweeter loquats.

Tree facts

Scientific name
Eriobotrya japonica
Origin
Southeastern China
Tree size
20–30 ft; easily kept at 10–15 ft
Growth rate
Medium
Sun
Full sun to light shade
Soil
Most well-drained soils. Doesn't tolerate standing water.
Soil pH
5.5–7.5
Pollination
Mostly self-fertile; bees improve fruit set, and a second cultivar helps some
Cold hardiness
Trees take about 12°F, but open flowers and young fruit are killed near 27–28°F, so crops fail where winters freeze hard
USDA zones
8–11 (fruits reliably in 9–11)
Years to first fruit
2–4 for a grafted tree
Season
Feb–Apr
Water
About every 10 days once established, without rain; more in heat, in pots and while young
Feeding
About every 90 days, Mar–Aug
Pruning
May–Jun
Taste
Sweet-tart and juicy, somewhere between apricot, plum and citrus
Nutrition
Beta-carotene (vitamin A), fiber and potassium

Is loquat safe to eat? Edible and toxic parts

What you can eat

  • Ripe flesh, raw or cooked, peeled or not

Toxic parts and cautions

  • Take care: Loquat seeds contain amygdalin, which releases cyanide when chewed or ground. The fruit is safe; don't eat the seeds or blend them into smoothies, jams or liqueurs.
  • Good to know: The large seeds are a choking risk for small children; remove them.

Pets: Seeds, leaves and stems contain cyanogenic compounds and are toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Seeded ripe flesh is fine in small amounts.

How to eat and enjoy loquat

  • Fresh, peeled and seeded
  • Jam and jelly
  • Poached or canned in syrup
  • Pies and cobblers, like peaches
  • Chutney

When it's ripe

Ripe when fully yellow-orange, slightly soft and sweet. Loquats don't ripen after picking. Clip whole clusters with a bit of stem, since the fruit bruises easily.

Storing it

A day or two at room temperature, 1–2 weeks in the fridge. Peeled, seeded fruit freezes well.

Loquat varieties (8)

  • Advance

    A naturally dwarf loquat with large clusters of sweet, juicy fruit.

    Origin: California · Taste: Sweet, juicy · Size: Medium

  • Big Jim

    A large, round loquat with orange flesh and sweet, rich flavor.

    Origin: California (San Diego) · Taste: Sweet, rich · Size: Large

    A heavy bearer.

  • Champagne

    A white-fleshed loquat with a juicy, sweet-tart flavor.

    Origin: California · Taste: Sweet-tart, juicy · Size: Medium

    Sets better with another cultivar nearby.

  • Gold Nugget · also Thales

    A late, orange-fleshed loquat with sweet, apricot-like flavor.

    Origin: California · Taste: Sweet, apricot-like · Size: Medium to large

  • Mogi

    Japan's leading commercial loquat: smallish, oval and very sweet.

    Origin: Japan · Taste: Very sweet · Size: Small to medium

  • Oliver

    A dependable Florida cultivar with large, sweet, juicy fruit.

    Origin: Florida · Taste: Sweet-tart, juicy · Size: Large

  • Tanaka

    A large, late loquat with orange-yellow flesh and sweet-tart flavor, an old Japanese standard.

    Origin: Japan · Taste: Sweet-tart · Size: Large

  • Wolfe

    A Florida-selected loquat with large, pear-shaped yellow fruit that's sweet and juicy.

    Origin: Florida · Taste: Sweet, juicy · Size: Large

Pests and diseases to watch for

  • Caribbean fruit fly

    Ripe fruit with tiny puncture marks; maggots inside and soft, rotting spots.

    What to do: Pick fruit slightly early and ripen indoors.

  • Fire blight

    Blossoms and shoot tips turn black as if scorched; shoot tips bend into a shepherd's crook.

    What to do: Prune infected shoots 8–12 inches below the damage in dry weather, disinfecting tools between cuts.

  • Scale insects

    Small bumps, waxy or shell-like, on stems and leaf veins; sticky honeydew and black sooty mold below.

    What to do: Scrub small colonies off with a soft brush.

  • Mealybugs

    White cottony clusters in leaf joints, under leaves and on fruit stems; honeydew and sooty mold.

    What to do: Blast off with a strong spray of water.

  • Aphids

    Clusters of tiny soft insects on new shoots; leaves curl and get sticky.

    What to do: Spray off with water.

  • Sooty mold

    Black, papery film on leaves and fruit that wipes off; it grows on honeydew.

    What to do: Control the insects making honeydew; the mold then weathers away.

Growing loquats? Let Gardyn keep track.

Gardyn tells you when your loquat needs water based on your local weather, reminds you to feed and prune in season, and keeps every harvest and photo.

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General guidance, not medical or veterinary advice. Poison Control (US): 1-800-222-1222. ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435.