Big Jim Loquat

A distant relative of the Apple and Pear, the Loquat is amazing! And lucky for you, the Big Jim Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica 'Big Jim') is the best of the best. This is one of the tastiest and fleshiest Loquat varieties you will find.

Who’s Big Jim? Jim Neitzel was a visionary fruit grower and a founding board member of the California Rare Fruit Growers Organization. And there’s a reason he named this variety after himself - it’s astounding! As a proponent of people growing their own fruits and veggies, Jim Neitzel developed many great sub-tropical varieties for backyard gardens.

If you want to grow enough Loquats for you and your neighbors, a Big Jim Loquat is your best bet. Its fruit grow up to 2.5 inches, and they grow in clusters of up to twelve. These yellow-orange fruits sweeten in the sun and taste like a citrus-flavored Apricot. They’re easy to peel, and they have deep yellow flesh and a few brown seeds.

These fruits have been compared to citrus with a perfect level of tartness. You can peel or eat the skin, which is sweet and chewy. The juice of the Big Jim Loquat is plentiful. Because of the bite size nature of the fruit, you can’t stop at “just one.” Fresh harvested Big Jim Loquat will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

They fruit in early spring, so they cycle well with your other fruit trees. Ripening typically right after Oranges and most citrus fruit is done, the Loquats offer a perfect bridge between the winter citrus and the wonderful summer fruits.

They flourish with deep green, lance-shaped foliage. They are evergreen, so you can enjoy their attractive leaves throughout the year. These are tough plants and once established, require little care.

Big Jim Loquat makes a great background shrub, or you can show yours off as a specimen plant. The Loquat is beautiful when trained as a multi-trunked tree. It can easily be held to about 8 feet in height.

If space is a concern, the Big Jim Loquat is also a very easy plant to espalier. Prune it flat against a sturdy trellis to take advantage of it’s full, lush foliage.

Be careful where you plant it, though. Your neighbors will insist that you share once they discover this rare tasty fruit.

You can keep your self-fruiting Big Jim Loquat on the move by keeping it in a container. They thrive in full sun, which makes them perfect for the patio or deck.

Big Jim Loquats are sub-tropical and like full sun. They do well in a wide variety of soil types and they’re drought-resistant once they are established. Unlike many other subtropical fruits, the Big Jim Loquat is cold hardy down to 12 degrees! In Zones 7 and 8, be prepared to cover your tree with a frost blanket when extended periods of cold are predicted.

Loquats are associated with many health benefits and have high levels of Vitamins A and C. They are said to act as a sedative, so you may feel a real mellow fondness for this beautiful variety.

Sink your teeth into one of the tastiest and the largest varieties of Loquats. Order yours today!