Loquat

Basic Information
Tree ID: 
138
Family: 
Rosaceae
Genus and species: 
Eriobotrya japonica
Description: 
Loquats are evergreen trees that originated in China and grow in subtropical regions all over the world. The tree pictured is one of four loquat trees in my backyard and is approximately five years old. This tree accidentally grew in this spot because my dad threw the seeds into the grass here after eating a fruit from one of the other trees. The fruits that this tree produces are tangy and sweet, and its leaves make an aromatic tea.
Surveyors: 
Brandon Lopez
Location
Collected Data
Tree shape: 
Round
Date of tree entry: 
02/24/2021
Height: 
2.10 m
Diameter at breast height: 
0.03 m

Bark
The texture is coarse and flaky. The colors are mostly tan with hints of green and orange.
Twigs & branches
New growths of twigs are wooly and yellowish-brown. New leaves grow at the tips of branches. The branches become more woody as the grow.
Foilage
The leaves are whorled at the tips of branches but also alternate along the branches. New leaves are yellowish-brown and become greener as they age. The young leaves have wooly and brown pubescence, but much of it eventually comes off. When mature, the leaves are dark green. They have lanceolate and elliptical shapes with a serrated margin. The upper surface of the leaf is leathery and shiny, while the lower surface often has pubescence. The venation of the leaves is pinnate.
Reproductive Structures
The type of inflorescence of the loquat is a panicle, so the flowers cluster on branches. The white flowers are small, have 5 petals, are about one inch wide, and have a sweet aroma. The flowers are bisexual, containing both male and female parts. They are often pollinated by bees but can also engage in self-pollination.
Fruit
The fruits are a small pome, which is a type of simple fruit composed of one or more carpels and fleshy tissue. They are sweet and acidic, resembling a mixture of peaches and citrus fruits. When growing, the fruits are green and become more yellow as they ripen. They ripen in the mid to late spring, and become a golden-yellow or orange color. The flesh color ranges from white to pale yellow. They are about 1-3 inches in length and width, with an oblong, pear shape. They grow in clusters, and each fruit can contain 1-8 large seeds.
Seasons
  • Winter
  • Spring
  • Summer and Autumn (Salicyna • CC BY-SA 4.0)
Research
Natural range of distribution: 
Habitat: 
The Loquat has been cultivated in China and Japan for hundreds of years but is now spread across the globe. It lives in many Mediterranean (e.g., Greece, France, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey), Asian (e.g., India, Pakistan, and South Korea), and American (e.g., Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and the United States) countries. It grows well in subtropical and mild temperate climates and prefers alkaline, deep soils with moderate fertility. The Loquat grows in valleys and forests of China, along the coasts of Australia, and in moist areas of Hawaii.
Origin, history, and uses: 

The Loquat is native to south-central China, where it has been cultivated for more than 2000 years. It was then imported to Japan during the Tang dynasty. Now, this tree has spread to across the globe, and it has accumulated many names, including níspero in Latin America, lokat or nespli in India, ameixa-japonesa or nêspera in Brazil, apanische Wollmispel and Loquate in Germany, and lokhwot or pee-pae in Thailand. The loquat fruit and leaves have many uses. For example, the extracts from the fruit have been used in Chinese medicines to treat coughs, pulmonary diseases, diabetes, and cancer due to the loquat’s bioactive compounds that give it anticancerous, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging properties. The loquat also provides countries a lot of commercial success; Spain produces more than 40,000 tons of this fruit per year. Further, the fruit can be used to make wine, and the leaves are made into tea.

Phenology: 
The Eriobotrya japonica is evergreen, so its leaves do not vary much throughout the four different seasons. Depending on the temperature of a tree's location, the flowers can begin to appear in the autumn or early winter. The fruits will initially be green as they grow in size and will begin to ripen about 150-200 days after the initial flowering occurs.
References: 

Dhiman, A., Suhag, R., Thakur, D., Gupta, V., & Prabhakar, P. K. (2021). Current Status of Loquat (Eriobotrya Japonica Lindl.): Bioactive Functions, Preservation Approaches, and Processed Products. Food Reviews International, 1-31.

Lin, S., Huang, X., Cuevas, J., & Janick, J. (2007). Loquat: An ancient fruit crop with a promising future. Chronica Hort, 47(2), 12-15.

Rojas-Sandoval, J. (2019, November 25). Eriobotrya japonica (loquat). CABI; CAB International. https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/20559#tosummaryOfInvasiveness

Media and Arts

Comments

Brandon Lopez on April 22, 2021:
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