![]() ![]() Mature trees can be pruned to maintain trees at 6 to 12 feet tall. Loquat trees tend to develop a nice shape on their own when given adequate space therefore, pruning specimens is typically unnecessary. Loquat is installed not only in mixed shrub borders, but also as the specimen plant. Loquat flowers are fragrant, white to off-white, have 5 petals, about 20 stamens, and are ½ to ¾ inch in diameter. However, loquat is mostly considered an ornamental in South Carolina because fruit production is limited by frost in the winter and excessive heat and moisture in the summer. Loquat is grown commercially for fruit production in California and the lower regions of the Gulf States, especially Florida. The fruit is eaten raw or processed into jellies, jams, preserves, and pies. Loquat produces yellow, pear-shaped to oblong acidic fruit in the spring (April through June). The fragrant, white to off-white flowers have 5 petals, about 20 stamens, and are ½ to ¾ inch in diameter. Loquat trees flower in the fall (September to January). The leaf veins are strongly pronounced, reach to the leaf margin, and terminate in a prickly tooth. The upper leaf surface is glossy and dark green while the lower leaf surface is covered in short whitish to rusty hairs. ![]() Leaf size is variable from 6 to 12 inches long and 3 to 5 inches wide. The leaves are alternate, simple, evergreen, and oftentimes whorled at the branch tips. Loquat is a rapid grower putting on up to 3’ of growth per year in ideal conditions. Care should be taken to plant trees 25 to 30 feet from structures and power lines. Loquat grows as a small tree or a large shrub at 15 to 30 feet high and wide. It is valued for its coarse dark green foliage that adds textural interest to the landscape. Loquat, Eriobotrya japonica, also called Japanese medlar and Japanese plum, is an evergreen shrub in the family Rosaceae that is native to China and Japan. Mature loquat tree located on the campus of Clemson University. ![]()
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