Can these trees be containerized, and overwintered in a storage shed?

Will they produce fruit in NYC?

If seed grown, will plants be true-to-type?

Named varieties?  Where can they be purchased?

Are named varieties layered, or grafted?

Can these type trees be easily grown...like a fig tree?

Are they prone to the same diseases as roses?  Blights, rusts, wilt,...etc?

Just curious.  These fruits are sold in Italian neighborhoods, and the cost a fortune. 

Frank

Frank,
The loquat IMHO is a lot like a fig in that they are very tolerant trees.  I grew them in Florida and some were from seeds with the others being grown from pups.  We have them growing unprotected here (zone 7b-8a).  I have seen two trees here are at least ten yrs old and maybe older.  I have seen them as far as extreme North Georgia.  I am told that they are okay to 10f deg for up to 6-8 hrs, I can't vouch for that.  The biggest danger is freezing to point of the bark splitting.  I brought 1 tree from Florida 3 yrs ago and it lives on my back patio in 10 gallon pot.  I did nothing to protect it last winter and we did get a little snow (4 inches once, 2 inches a couple of times).  I have just given some greenwood cuttings away and we are waiting to see how they do.  If you send me your address I will send you greenwood now and woodies later.  I can't send seeds as this particular tree has not fruited yet, but commercial nurserymen in Florida do propagate from seeds.

Good luck
Danny K
Marshall Tx

BTW, I can check with my nurserymen in Florida a see about getting some seeds and maybe plants.

Amazing!  I thought they were in the citrus family all this time, and citrus doesn't like snow at all!  We do get a couple nights of freeze every few years, and it ruins the citrus crop.  Trees survive, but the fruit is dry and not juicy.  Maybe Loquat's are a different breed.  I may have been thinking Kumquats...Gonna check it out just for me.  Might want some when we get that acreage we seek!

Editing this because I just found out:  Loquat trees may be propagated by seed,but they do not come true from seed and they have a 6-to 8 -year juvenile period before flowering and fruiting.

Suzi

I've never gotten why loquats aren't more popular as a grocery store fruit.  When I've the pleasure of eating my own fruit after a mild winter/no late spring frost/biennialism, they were very tasty, even when not dead ripe.  Call 'em cherry peaches!  Or something...

BronxFigs, go to Edible Landscaping for loquat selection, tho' I don't think they sell Big Jim, which was the best when I was really into tropical fruits 20 years ago.  Like figs, the leaves make a good tea.  Like breba producing figs, the fruits sort of overwinter, after blooming in the fall.  If the winter isn't too cold, then the major issue are frosts.  No worries about fireblight in NYC, I think.  I think it would be very unlikely that you'd be able to get much in terms of fruit.  

Growing loquat seriously is probably more of a hassle than growing cherries, and I'd imagine that it does cost alot to harvest high quality fruits.  No real effort is needed in warmer and frost free springs, and they're excellent for the home garden.  In their natural range, in Florida, Louisiana, etc, they get very big, like old style apple trees, and drop more fruit than anyone can eat.

Kumquats are a citrus.  Loquat =Japanese or Chinese Plum.  Single seed as opposed to citrus fruit having multiple seeds.  Citrus trees are grafted to a root stock for sweetness and Loquat (plum) trees aren't.  The original Orange trees grown from seeds generally produce sour fruit.  Sorry I can't remember what kind of root stock is used.

Danny K
Marshall Tx

Just Fruits and Exotics has named grafted Loquat varieties. Nice guy too.

Thank-you, all, very much.

In just a short time, I got all the answers that I needed, and, then some.

I think this plant will be problematic, given the fact that it is evergreen, and, also flowers, and sets fruit in fall, and winter months.   The 'kiss-of-death' for my Loquat jones.

Your quick answers saved me hours of research, and I thank-you again, for your help.

Frank

Come join us in Texas!

Suzi,

I recommend that you give them a try. They don't all take that long to flower from seed. 3-4 yrs is more like it.

I will give them a try.  They are subtropical, and when we finally buy the acreage we want (lost the last offer to another), I will include them in the plans.  The area is subtropical, so anything that doesn't need a certain amount of freeze hours is fine there.  Lychee!!  Love those!  Macadamia!!  Avocado!!  Olives!!  Figs!!  Of course, my wine grapevines, and all the citrus on the earth, guavas... but no cherries, pears, apples, stonefruit...... see!  There is a trade-off!!

Suzi

I have a 13 year loquat tree grown from seed and never a single flower or fruit. It grows vigorously with no care at all, but don't try it from seed.  Had I known that at the time, I should have just bought one nursery nursery.  Back in the day, I didn't know these garden forums were around.

Suzi, if you get one section and put cold water pipes in the ground you can still grow fruit needing chill hours.  You have to use a water chiller and cool the roots.

I grew some in containers that were seedlings and they produced well for me. Unless you have a greenhouse or a sunroom in the Northeast they will never bloom for me. The garage is cold but too dark for the fruit to grow well. 

Bass...

I started to suspect that this is not a tree for The Bronx, NYC from some of the answers that were posted, and you confirmed my suspicions.  I will not try this fruit.  Also, never have I ever seen, or, knew anyone growing this fruit in my area.  THAT fact alone, should have been a clue, but, I'd just thought I'd ask the forum members for their opinions.

Now, I know...no Loquat trees for Frank.

F

Bass!  After seeing those pictures, I can't wait to get a couple.  They will be in the ground, and they are BIG trees, but like figs they can be pruned to a manageable size.

Thanks for posting the pictures!
Suzi

Frank,

I have one called "Big Jim".
It was recommended by a former member here ( Dan_La ).
I got it off EBay and last winter I stored it in the garage with the figs and it came right back.

But compared to the previous variants I've grown in the past it seems to be a slow grower. But I would rather take a slow and hardy grower than a fast and weak one.

It ( Loquat in general ) is an awesome fruit and too bad it isn't that popular in the grocery store like shah8 says.

The last time I had some was when I visited Gene in Houma. We were tearing them apart right off the tree. LOL

suzi, Make sure you get a known grafted variety if you want a quality fruit. Seedlings trees are very common in nurseries and are sold for their ornamental purposes although they fruit, the quality is not always good.

Thanks Bass!  Once we get that property, I'll find grafted trees.  There are huge commercial nurseries there, so grafted should be pretty easy to find.

Suzi

What does the fruit taste like?  Kinda looks like apricot?

I tried the seedling route. Several years ago a local GRFG member ate some great loquats in Spain; he brought seeds home and distributed seedlings for anybody to try. After about five years it began fruiting, and I left it for a few more years in hopes the fruit would improve, before finally giving up and removing it a few months ago. This particular seedling was also prone to fireblight. Live and learn! If I ever try one again, I'll look for a known, high-quality fruiter.

Here's a local variety. Large and very good eats...

My loquat tree is finally blooming for the first time, and profusely at that.  I grew it from a seed starting about 13 years ago.   I was almost going to cut it down to make way for something else.   Hope the fruits turn out good.   I suppose I get to name it whatever I want. 

My mouth waters just looking at these pictures

Figfanatic -"back in the day" there weren't many of anything online!!  And let's face it, back in the 90's not many people went online for much, or even had a computer to do so!  My my how things change quickly!