Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba), also called Chinese date, is a species of the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae). It comes from north and north-east China and is cultivated worldwide today. It produces small, oval and edible fruits.
Jujube is a low deciduous tree with a height of 3 - 4 m, sometimes up to 8 m high. It is long and short thorny or without thorns and long branched. The flowering period extends from May to July, the fruit ripening from August to October. Red-brown drupes are formed. They are elongated to narrowly ovoid and between 3 to 6 cm long. The flesh is creamy-white, fleshy and thick. It tastes delicious, mildly sweet or slightly sour. The light brown, wrinkled stone is pointed to rounded at both ends.
Usually grows in areas with temperatures below -20 ° C. However, a good sunny or sheltered location is suitable for the fruit to ripen well. In the original conditions in China it grows on poor rocky soils. Is drought tolerant, but regular watering is recommended to improve harvest and quality of the fruit. Has neither the problem with salt soils nor with high pH. The fertilization is not demanding, only a spring disposable dose of NPK is sufficient. These trees usually grow without further care after planting.
Fruits are rich in vitamin C, vitamin B2, provitamin A, bioflavonoids, starches and sugars (25-30%, dried up to 63.8%), proteins, fats, copper, cobalt, iodine, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, Magnesium, Zinc, Manganese and Routine. All of these substances have beneficial effects on the stomach, digestive system, or blood pressure. Fruits, seeds and bark serve as medicines - they work against insomnia, cure coughs, slow down the aging process, treat mouth injuries and oral cavity infections.
