Ziziphus jujuba Xian Beauty™

Xian Beauty Chinese Date (Ziziphus jujuba Xian Beauty™) is an early-ripening jujube prized for both fresh eating and drying. Named for the both the Chinese city where it was cultivated, and for the refined appearance of its fruit, ‘Xian Beauty’ produces apricot-sized jujubes that mature to a rich chocolate-brown colour.

Valued for its abundant mid-autumn harvests, the crisp fruit has an apple-like texture and flavour when fresh. When left on the tree to wrinkle and dry, it becomes sweeter and pleasantly chewy, developing classic “date-like” characteristics. Exceptionally versatile in the kitchen, Xian Beauty jujubes are delicious eaten fresh, sliced into salads, or dried and used like dates or raisins in baking. Traditionally, jujubes have also been juiced, candied, cooked, smoked, or made into syrups, wines, and preserves. Highly nutritious, the fruits are rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, and essential minerals, and have been valued in traditional Asian medicine for centuries.

Beyond its culinary appeal, the Xian Beauty Chinese jujube plant offers excellent ornamental value. It has a graceful, slightly weeping habit, with glossy green foliage that turns yellow in autumn. Small greenish-yellow flowers, though not showy, bloom over an extended period and provide an excellent nectar source for pollinators. Xian Beauty Chinese jujube plant is self-fertile, but planting another variety - such as Ziziphus jujuba ‘Coco’ - nearby can significantly increase fruit set and yield. In winter, the gray, thorny, and attractively contorted branching structure adds striking seasonal interest.

With its compact growth habit, this deciduous Chinese date tree is well suited to smaller spaces and even large container growing. Xian Beauty Chinese jujube tree thrives in full sun and is drought tolerant once established, though best fruit production is achieved in moist, well-drained soil. Fruit is typically produced by the second year, with substantial harvests developing by the fourth or fifth season. Cold hardy to Zone 5a (-29 °C), Xian Beauty Jujube is an excellent choice for growers with shorter seasons or concerns about early frost.

Generally free from serious pests and diseases, Chinese jujube trees are long-lived and can remain productive for decades. Xian Beauty Chinese date is a beautiful, resilient fruit tree that combines ornamental charm with a dependable harvest of nutritious fruit - sure to be a conversation starter in any neighbourhood!