Ziziphus jujuba - Jujube

Jujube trees produce small, date-like fruits that can be eaten fresh or dried. They are grown for their edible fruits and ornamental value. It reaches 5-11 m tall and 3-9 m wide at maturity.¹ Jujube is sometimes listed as a nitrogen fixer, but this appears to be a mix-up with other members of the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae): of that family’s roughly 50 genera, only Ceanothus, Colletia, Discaria, Kentrothamnus, Retanilla, and Trevoa are confirmed to form nitrogen-fixing symbioses with Frankia bacteria — Ziziphus is not among them.²

Inputs

• Hardiness zone 5³
• Hardiness zone 6³
• Hardiness zone 7³
• Hardiness zone 8³
• Hardiness zone 9³
• Hardiness zone 10³

Outputs

• Human food⁴

Type

• Tree
• Deciduous

Functions

• Windbreak³
• Hedge³
• Soil stabilization³
• Attracting bees³
• Wildlife habitat³

Dimension	At maturity
Height (m)	5-11
Diameter (m)	3-9

Footnotes

1. Gilman, E.F. and D.G. Watson, Ziziphus jujuba: Chinese Date, UF/IFAS Extension ENH-836 ↩

2. Rhamnaceae | Frankia and Actinorhizal Plants Research ↩

3. Ziziphus jujuba | Plants for a Future ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹

4. Gaia’s Garden - A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, 2nd Edition Table 10-1 ↩