Tree
Jujube
Ziziphus jujuba · Rhamnaceae
Also called: Chinese Date, Chinese Jujube, Red Date
Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) is a low-water tree well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun.
Jujube at a glance
- Water use
- Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun (needs full sun for good fruit set and ripening).
- Mature size
- 15-30 ft H x 15-25 ft W (often kept smaller with pruning).
- Growth rate
- Slow to moderate.
- Bloom
- Tiny, inconspicuous greenish-yellow flowers., Late spring into early summer (May-June); fruit ripens late summer to fall.
- Cold hardiness
- Extremely cold hardy; USDA zones 5-10, tolerating roughly -15 F (and reportedly briefly lower) while also thriving in extreme desert heat.
- Soil
- Very adaptable; tolerates poor, rocky, saline, and alkaline desert soils, but prefers well-drained soil with neutral to slightly alkaline pH.
- Native range
- Native to China and southern/central Asia; long cultivated and well adapted to the low desert Southwest.
- Best used as
- Fruit/edible landscape tree, Small shade tree, Specimen tree, Tough urban/parking-lot tree
- Wildlife
- Flowers attract bees; fruit is eaten by birds and wildlife.
- Toxicity
- Non-toxic; fruit is edible and widely eaten fresh or dried.
How to grow Jujube in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Drought tolerant once established; deep-water every 2-3 weeks in the Tucson summer for reliable fruit, monthly or less in cooler months. Avoid heavy irrigation right after a dry spell, which can split the fruit.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Light feeder. A single light application of balanced fertilizer in early spring is sufficient; excess nitrogen promotes suckers and vegetative growth at the expense of fruit.
Pruning & care
Prune in late winter while dormant to remove dead/crossing wood, shape the canopy, and control the abundant root suckers that emerge around the trunk. Watch for sharp thorns on young wood.
Notes
One of the toughest fruit trees for the low desert—heat, drought, salt, and alkalinity tolerant. Suckers aggressively from the roots, so site away from lawns and pavers; grafted named cultivars (e.g., 'Li', 'Lang') fruit better than seedlings.
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension (Pima County / desert tree guides); ASU Desert Trees database (C. Martin); Garden.org Jujube growing guide; Regional desert horticulture references