Eriobotrya japonicaLoquat

Eriobotrya japonica, the Loquat, is a compact evergreen fruit tree with large, deeply corrugated, dark green leaves felted rust-brown beneath. It flowers in autumn and winter, when almost nothing else does, and the woolly cream panicles are strongly fragrant; orange-yellow fruit follows in spring.

The bold leaf makes it useful well beyond the orchard, and it is regularly specified as a small evergreen shade tree or a screening element in courtyards and Mediterranean and Gulf gardens.

Specifications

• Height5 to 8 metres
• Width4 to 6 metres
• Native toSouth-central China, and long cultivated in Japan
• FoliageLarge, leathery, deeply veined dark green leaves with rust-brown felted undersides; evergreen
• Growth rateModerate

Conditions

• SoilPrefers well-drained loams; tolerates a wide range including alkaline soils
• LightFull sun to partial shade
• WaterModerate; drought-tolerant once established
• ClimateThrives in subtropical, warm temperate and Mediterranean regions; the tree is frost hardy but the autumn flowers and young fruit are not

Additional Features

• FlowersWoolly panicles of fragrant cream flowers in autumn and winter
• FruitOrange-yellow edible fruit ripening in spring, sweet and slightly tart
• UsesIdeal as a small evergreen shade tree, a courtyard feature, a screening element and in edible landscapes
• SpacingPlant 5 to 7 metres apart, or 3 metres for a screen
• Low MaintenanceLight pruning after harvest; thin the fruit for size where a crop is wanted
• Pest ResistanceGenerally resilient; fruit fly can affect the crop where it is present
• VersatilityGrown as an open small tree, a clipped screen or espaliered flat against a warm wall
• Wildlife AttractionRipe fruit is heavily taken by birds

The Loquat gives a courtyard an evergreen canopy, a winter scent and a spring crop from a tree that stays the right size.