Jujube Tree

Common jujube is a deciduous tree or large shrub with a rounded or vase-shaped outline and thorny branches. Its small, fragrant white to yellow-green flowers appear in late spring and early summer, followed by edible fruit that matures from green to brownish purple. [North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ziziphus-jujuba/) ## Garden Use Grow jujube as an edible-fruit tree, a shade tree, or a specimen in an Asian or naturalized garden. The fruit can be eaten fresh, dried, or cooked, and the display and harvest span summer into fall. Fruit set may be limited at the northern edge of its hardiness range where the growing season is too short. ## Growing Conditions Plant in full sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soil. The tree tolerates poor soil and drought and accepts clay, loam, or sandy textures. It is hardy in USDA zones 6a through 9b, with mature plants typically reaching 15 to 30 feet tall and 10 to 30 feet wide. ## Maintenance Allow room for the thorny branches and multi-trunked form. Water while establishing the plant; after establishment, avoid persistently wet soil and use modest fertility. ## Yavapai County — 2025 source scope and care The [University of Arizona Yavapai County bulletin](https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/2025-03/FirewisePlants3-14-2025.pdf), page 2, lists Jujube with the botanical cell Ziziphus jujuba and form T. It places this entry in its fire-resistant list. The matched catalog name is Ziziphus jujuba. Source form codes: C=groundcover, G=grass, P=perennial, S=shrub, T=tree and V=vine. Printed names and form codes can include source spelling errors or historical taxonomic treatments; the source wording is retained separately from the catalog name and plant-specific habit. The bulletin states that resistant plants require irrigation and frequent maintenance. It describes low shrubs or clean taller shrubs with little dead material. Maintain suitable moisture and spacing, remove dead growth and avoid continuous fuel; a regional list does not establish every selection's performance or local cold hardiness. No plant is fireproof. Keep this Yavapai classification separate from Arizona UA, Utah, New Mexico, Idaho, Colorado and other source ratings and their placement, moisture and maintenance conditions.