Lang
Lang Jujube is a productive Chinese Date tree prized by gardeners who want both ornamental beauty and abundant fruit. Growing 18 to 20 feet tall with a spread of 15 to 20 feet, this cultivar thrives in hardiness zones 6 to 10 and produces medium to large red fruit with a distinctive pear shape. The fruit requires hot summers to ripen fully, developing from crisp and tangy when firm to intensely sweet and chewy like dates when fully wrinkled. It takes 2 to 5 years from planting before trees begin bearing, but once established, Lang Jujube rewards patient growers with consistently heavy harvests.
15-20 feet apart
Full Sun
Moderate
6-10
216in H x 240in W
Perennial
Low
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Lang Jujube stands out for its attractive pear-shaped fruit and dual appeal as both an ornamental and productive tree. The foliage is notably glossy and green, turning warm yellow in autumn, while the fruit transitions from green-white-yellow flowers in fall to deep red ripe berries. Unlike sweeter jujube varieties, Lang Jujube offers a crisp, tangy flavor when eaten fresh, but its true magic emerges when you allow fruit to fully ripen and wrinkle on the tree, transforming it into something remarkably similar to a date in both texture and concentrated sweetness.
Lang Jujube fruit is eaten fresh when crisp and tangy, but most often it is dried or candied. As the fruit ripens fully on the tree and develops wrinkles, it becomes sweet enough to eat like a date. The tree itself serves as an ornamental specimen, contributing glossy foliage and autumn color alongside fruit production.
Transplant grafted Lang Jujube trees outdoors after the last frost date for your zone. Space trees 20 feet apart to accommodate their mature width.
Harvest Lang Jujube fruit when it reaches full color, which ranges from green to deep red depending on ripeness stage. For the crispest fruit, pick when the skin is fully colored but still firm. For the sweetest result, allow fruit to remain on the tree until it becomes deeply wrinkled and chewy, much like a dried date. In cooler climates where full tree-ripening may be difficult, pick fully colored fruit and allow it to continue ripening indoors.
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