Not sure how many varieties there are but I have or am hoping to have a few different varieties.
One thing that Ive noticed with my VERY limited experience is that there isnt a tremendous difference in taste amongst the varieties.
Is that just me?
I bet it is SUPER difficult ( as in quite possibly will never happen ) that any one of us ever experience the taste of fruit from a true variety, my guess is that the trees that are out there either planted already or floating around for sale are so badly watered down thru the various propagation methods.
Anyway I love loquat, I have roughly 30 trees planted so far and plan many more, most of mine were started from seed, they grow fast and are cheap but I do have some pricey store bought versions.
What varieties do you have, any interest in trading plants? Maybe there is a subsection of this forum just for that?
Not sure what you mean by true variety. Various named varieties have been either selectively bred or just propagated if whatever property the fruit had was considered desirable (size taste etc).
There’s a couple of threads on the different varieties. One forum member breeds and sells various cultivars, use the search function, or google, to find them. Hint: if using google, use the site:growingfruit.org function to limit searches to this forum.
I unfortunately have only one seedling and no named varieties. There are a ton of trees growing around me though.
@ramv might be interested.He’s collecting them like trading cards.
The only variety I have is seedlings from a big tree at the International District(Chinatown) in Seattle.
I grew three named varieties and two seedlings. Most of the named varieties were very similar in taste. My two seedlings were sisters and tasted very different. One was medium and tasted like a very sweet apricot with nice acid. The other was as large as Big Jim and did not have the acid of the other one. The medium one had nice acid when ripe, but sister had to be picked before ripe to have the acid. If you want a variety that definitely tastes different try champagne. It has the fizzy champagne taste. It is the only one I am currently growing. My large seedling was my previous favorite because I could pick before ripe and have sweet and acid in a very large loquat, but I lost it during 6 weeks of rain every day and didn’t like wet feet.
I grow about 30 named/grafted varieties of loquat at latitude 47N. (Seattle area). They appear to grow well in this area. A decent number flowered but only a few have successfully set fruit. I believe it is because they are young and also because they didn’t get pollinated properly.
All my trees are under 4 years old.
Have fruit on 2 varieties so far this year. Others are in bloom but no obvious fruit
I have 30-40 loquat trees on my property, unfortunately I do not know the varieties, one larger tree that was a Lowes purchase lat last year has alot of fruit on it now and it tastes great, Im not sure if its fruiting cause its still jacked up on the last years fertilizer that Lowes had given it or if its genuinely happy to be on my property.
Would you be willing sell/send me some small plants.
I would of course compensate you for the trouble
I hope its happy where it is.
I am not aware of what varieties I have tasted around town. I think they taste pretty good. But, I often have had irritation in my mouth after eating loquat. I don’t get this from other fruits. I’m suspecting it has something to do with something on the skin, possibly a particular yeast bloom or something. Has anyone experienced this?
It seems like many people don’t eat the skins. Maybe this is why.
I’ve only had loquat once, from one local tree. I ate the skin and didn’t find it objectionable. Certainly much more palatable than feijoa, and no worse than hardy kiwi.
Is it an irritation like people sometimes get from kiwi fruit or pineapple?
I’ve probably experienced something like it from heavy doses of pineapple. I can’t remember, is that like an enzymatic reaction? For some reason I have them classified differently in my mind, though you’re right, the sensation was probably similar. But brought on by less loquat.
I peel loquats — they appear to taste better that way.
I prefer not to peel Feijoa — but this might be variety related. Most seedlings have thick tough skin. But some varieties with thin skin have an enjoyable taste eaten whole. In NZ where Feijoa is pretty much the national fruit, many people eat them whole.
Do you notice a huge difference in taste between the varieties? I have tasted supposedly a few different varieties and in general they have all tasted similar as in the differences were nothing to write home about
I do very much enjoy the taste and eat the entire fruit.
Ive also read that a tea can be made from the leaves! Any experience?
Ram, I’d love to try some thin-skinned, feijoa if you can identify varieties or source for some fruit.
It’s not the texture I mind, its the taste. It lingers and messes with my tastebuds. Maybe a little like poncirus, or mukrat lime juice. I’m also very sensitive to most non-nutritive sweeteners - so it could be a genetic / tastebud thing.
Yes, I sometimes make tea from loquat. It is very fruity and refreshing. Not at all bitter.
There are some papers showing significant drops in A1c numbers (near drug levels) when regularly consuming loquat tea so it is supposed to be very good for you also.
There are certainly differences between varieties. Some are very sweet, others are tart sweet. Some are plum like, others more like apricot. Size, color and shape differences are also quite substantial.
I’ve heard that seedlings do not exhibit huge variations compared to parents unlike say apples. So even if you are growing a lot of seedlings, it might depend where the parents came from. Did they all come from a group of fruits all from the same mother tree?
The first time I had a feijoa, it was a variety called Alberts supreme. I ate skin and all. I really enjoyed it. I was later told that usually people discard the skin.
It might very well be a genetic thing. I grew up eating guava and feijoa skin reminds me of guava. The skin is also tart and very slightly bitter which to me balances out the sweet of the fruit.
