Ziziphus jujuba Meimizao

Ziziphus jujuba 'Miemizao' is a variety of jujube valued for its fairly early maturity. It makes it possible to harvest jujubes in regions where autumn is shorter and less warm. Its elongated fruits are picked while still firm, as soon as they begin to colour: their flesh is then crisp, sweet and slightly tart. The tree, tolerant of dry conditions and relatively hardy, thrives in sun and well-drained soil, even if it is chalky or stony. Self-fertile, its yield will nevertheless be improved by the presence of a second jujube tree such as ‘Li’ or ‘Abundance’ nearby.

Treat it without fail against the Mediterranean fruit fly, otherwise the entire harvest may be destroyed. To do this, you can use traps that are harmless to biodiversity.

The jujube belongs to the Rhamnaceae family. The botanical species Ziziphus jujuba is native to northern and eastern China as far as South Korea; it is now widely introduced in the warm, dry or Mediterranean regions of Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, southern Europe and America. In China, jujube has been grown for several thousand years and includes a very large number of fruit cultivars selected for fresh consumption, drying, candied fruit or ornamental use.

'Meimizao’ is an early Chinese cultivar whose presence in European trials was recorded in Italy as early as 1995. The tree reaches 4 to 6 m in height and 3 to 4 m in spread at maturity; it is more compact than the older varieties. Its habit is semi-upright at first, becoming rounded with age, and its brownish branches are slightly zigzagged. The branches of ‘Meimizao’ are only slightly thorny, making harvesting easier. The bark of the trunk becomes dark, rough, fissured or scaly with age. The foliage is deciduous, made up of small, oval to lanceolate, leathery, glossy green leaves, 2 to 5 cm long, finely toothed and marked by three visible veins from the base of the lamina. In autumn, they turn yellow before falling. Flowering takes place from June to July, depending on the climate. The flowers are small, greenish yellow and inconspicuous but fragrant and nectar-rich; they appear in the leaf axils, singly or in small clusters. In jujube, flowers and fruits form on the current year's shoots.

The fruits of ‘Meimizao’ are elongated jujubes, ovoid and olive-shaped, longer than they are wide. They are initially light green to greenish yellow, then turn reddish brown to coppery brown as they ripen. Their flesh is firm, crisp and juicy when picked at the right time, sweet with a slight acidity. At the crisp stage, their flavour is reminiscent of a mildly acidic apple; when the fruit turns brown and wrinkles, its flesh becomes denser and sweeter, with notes of date. Italian trials rank ‘Meimizao’ among the Chinese cultivars with quality fruit for fresh consumption, with crisp flesh rich in sugars.

Harvest: ‘Meimizao’ is an early variety. Harvesting begins from the end of August in the warmest areas, more often in September, and may continue until early October depending on the aspect. In northern Italy, harvesting of ‘Meimizao’ begins in mid-September. Pick the jujubes by hand, fruit by fruit, when their skin begins to turn reddish brown. 

Storage: fresh jujubes can be stored in a cool place after harvesting, ideally between 3 and 10 °C, in an atmosphere that is not too dry. They should not be picked when too green, as they ripen poorly off the tree. The fruit stores better when picked at the beginning of its colour change, when the skin changes from greenish yellow to reddish brown, before it softens or wrinkles. Dried fruit keeps for much longer in a cool, dry and well-ventilated place.

In the kitchen: the fruits of ‘Meimizao’ can be eaten fresh, crunched like a small apple while their flesh is still firm and juicy. At a more advanced stage of ripeness, they can be dried like small dates. They can also be used in compotes, poached fruit, jams, syrups, infusions, pastries or sweet and savoury Asian-inspired dishes.

In the garden: plant jujube 'Miemizao' in full sun, in well-drained soil, even if it is chalky. This fruit tree is suitable for dry gardens and soils that warm up quickly in spring. Watering is useful during the first two years, then mainly while the fruit is developing in the event of a very dry summer. In a Mediterranean orchard, it can be paired with almond ‘Lauranne’, which is self-fertile and late, with apricot ‘Rouge du Roussillon’, pomegranate ‘Mollar de Elche’, and Feijoa ‘Mammouth’, an evergreen, decorative and productive plant in the latter part of the season. These fruit trees provide staggered harvests from summer to autumn.