Ha ha. Yes those gums aren’t as popular now but juicy fruit, double mint, and big red were very popular when I was growing up
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I have never tasted a Loquat that tasted like Juicy fruit. But Juicy fruit is absolutely Jackfruit flavored. Isoamyl acetate is a major part of that jackfruit flavor not that Juicy Fruit would ever confirm using it. Though it seems unlikely that an industrial byproduct from whisky making in Illinois, would escape the notice of a an Illinois chewing gum maker.
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So far only one of those seeds that already seemed to be germinating two months ago has sprouted successfully, though I think another new shoot might’ve been devoured by a slug that got in the greenhouse a few weeks ago. Mostly the rest still look green, so maybe they’ll sprout yet.
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Of the 12 seeds I sprouted last June (from Brady B), I’m surprised at their variability now. I’m guessing it’s due to how well each withstood the outdoor low winter temps. It’s the reason you grow out a hundred -avocados or loquats!
I’ve planted out the best looking one. But some of the others are definitely rejects!
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I am into Loquats! As of last year that is. I had never heard of them before and I happened to go to Exotica Nursery in Vista CA and they had a huge Golden Nugget Loquat. I tasted it and I was hooked! I see Loquat alllll over SoCal now and even found a seedling growing on my grandma’s property that she didnt know was there. Our friends have a huge one in their yard, unknown variety, and I picked buckets full last year and made Blackberry Loquat Jam. I took seeds from those and grew out a bunch of baby trees.
I am impressed how resilient they are. When my mom died, I gave up gardening and sort of neglected them. Even with that, they somehow survived. They survived being watered too much. This one has new leaves growing after the original died from overwatering I think.
The other seedlings look good as well. Labeled Clemente Loquat as I got the fruit in San Clemente
And then because I do not like waiting, I bought a larger fruiting tree. A Big Jim. I was a little underwhelmed by the flavor as it was like a mild melon. I was missing the acidic hit at the end like other Loquats I have had. It is a young tree and I just put in the ground a few weeks ago. It languished in a nursery pot for a year.
Im hoping to graft new varieties as it gets bigger and I get better at grafting.
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I just visited the Seattle International District tree again, and some of the fruit are starting to swell a bit, but not getting close to ripe yet:
Interestingly, it looks like the smaller tree on the alleyway behind the house (presumably a seedling of the main tree) had all its flowers/fruitlets killed by frost this winter, so it must be less hardy:
I am not sure if anyone has posted a photo of the branch structure under the canopy of the main tree, so here you go:
Someone gave it quite a prune job since last summer at some point, now the lowest branches are well out of reach from the sidewalk, you’d have to park a truck under it and climb on the roof to reach the lowest limbs now.
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OK, so I was called out and deservedly lashed over the Juicy Fruit connection. I’m ok, pride a little bruised, but I’m over it. Last year I made some tasty loquat wine and this year I made some really nice fruit leather. Just don’t sleep on loquats as an early fruit worth growing. Carry on good people!
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I just harvested Sunset, Harvest, Argelino and Kando from my multi-grafted tree. Harvest as described by Adam is white/yellow with melon flavor. Argelino is more sprightly and could have used more time on the tree. Sunset is sweet but not more different from Big Jim. All of these need one more year for better evaluation. The best of the lot is Kando or Kanko. Tasted like very sweet orange sorbet with intense orange flavor. Most of Kando is not ripe yet as its a late-season variety but like figs loquats are ripening fruits slowly over time. Can’t wait to try more of Kando
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Kando/Kanko is my favorite as well. It is also the most productive variety. Produces so much that the tree doesnt grow as vigorously as others.
It is a tossup between Kanko and Argelino as to which is the best variety. Kanko is later here than Argelino.
Unfortunately this year was a total loss owing to the extreme cold winter.
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I do thin the fruits and I see the difference in size and flavor. Argelino got to the size of Apriums after heavy thinning.
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While in Seattle today,I visited the Chinatown tree and knocked off a few fruit.Definitely ripe and delicious.
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These seedlings are still doing pretty well as they get near the end of the growing season this year:
They haven’t been watered much this summer, so it’s possible that they would have grown more with better irrigation and more fertilizer, but I’m happy enough with this growth. I’m guessing it’ll be quite a few years before they start to flower, though.
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Make sure to protect them from rabbits. I lost over half my trees to them. Some are very hard to replace.
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Yeah, both of my seedlings got mown down by rabbits. One of them, after having died to the ground 
Miraculously they are both still kicking. I hope the more set back one makes it through this winter, if not, it opens a planting, or transplanting spot for something else.
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I’m lucky that for some reason (probably my lazy old porch cat?) the rabbits that I see all over the neighborhood never seem to come into my yard. Not that she’d be any good at catching a rabbit, she’s old and slow these days. But maybe she’s a good deterrent at least.
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Does the loquat tree in the international district of Seattle make reliable fruit? I have a couple seedlings from that tree I am growing in the Willamette Valley. I’m curious if I can expect fruit or not. I noticed a couple loquat growing in Portland that people claim produce fruit.
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Yes. I’ve seen fruit every year.
But as I’ve said before, it is a function of microclimate — not just genetics.
Also your seedlings will likely take 10 years before setting fruit.
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That’s what I was thinking. A ‘heat island’ effect maybe. Where I am the is listed as zone 8b but I have success with yuzu so I’m hoping that translates to the loquat as well.
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Hey Ramv,
Do you know where I can get a Kanko scion? Or would you be willing to sell me one? I have a couple of seedlings that I am eager to graft a late variety like Kanko to in hopes of getting consistent production here in zone 8, Texas.
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