Garden Guy: Walt Jankowski
This time of year, most of us have seen a large leafed tree in home plantings and commercial sites with the round yellowish fruit. If you haven’t eaten the fruit, you’re missing a real treat. What is the name of this easy to care for tree? It is the Loquat or Chinese plum.
Here is some background from Purdue University.
“The loquat was first grown in southeastern China and possibly southern Japan, though it may have been introduced into Japan before that time. It is said to have been cultivated in Japan for over 1,000 years. Europe first learned of it from the botanist Kaempfer in 1690. Thunberg, who saw it in Japan in 1712, provided a more elaborate description. It was planted in the National Gardens, Paris, in 1784 and plants were taken from Canton, China, to the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, England, in 1787. Soon, the tree was grown on the Riviera and in Malta and French North Africa (Algeria) and the Near East and fruits were appearing on local markets. In 1818, excellent fruits were being produced in hothouses in England. The tree can be grown outdoors in the warmest locations of southern England.
“In the New World, it is cultivated from northern South America, Central America and Mexico to California: also, since 1867, in southern Florida and northward to our neck of the woods. It was quite common as a small-fruited ornamental in California gardens in the late 1870’s. The horticulturist, C.P. Taft, began seedling selection and distributed several superior types before the turn of the century, but further development was slow. Dwarfing on quince rootstocks has encouraged expansion of loquat cultivation in Israel since 1960. In the northern United States and Europe, the tree is grown in greenhouses as an ornamental, especially var. variegata with white and pale-green splashes on the leaves.”
If you don’t have a loquat in your landscape, you might seriously consider adding one. They are fairly inexpensive to purchase, easy to plant and care for and will reward you with year round green leaves and fruit in the spring. Why not look for a specimen at your local nursery?
Don’t forget, if you have a question about your plants, pests or garden. Drop me an email at DaGardenGuy@yahoo.com.
How is your vegetable garden coming along this year? I have green peppers on the vine, my heirloom tomatoes are just starting to set fruit and my herbs are still “plugging along.”
Finally, the Southcoast Chapter of the South Carolina Native Plant Society will hold a sale from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at 48 Sherman Drive, Beaufort.
There will be more than 200 species of native and heirloom plants available for purchase. The plants were grown without chemical pesticides and propagated from local sources.
There will be trees, shrubs, vines, ferns, perennials and reseeding annuals with special emphasis on plants for birds and butterflies and for difficult local conditions.
So mark your calendar and plan to stop by and pickup a few natives for your garden.