Virginia Tech Dendrology

jujube Rhamnaceae Ziziphus zizyphus (L.) Karst. symbol: ZIZI
Leaf: Alternate, simple, deciduous, ovate to elliptical, to 3 inches long, finely serrate edges, glabrous; shiny dark green above, paler below; 3 distinct veins branch from the base and arch forward.
Flower: Species is monoecious; axillary flowers are small, yellow-green, 5 petals; appearing in early summer.
Fruit: An olive-like sweet and edible drupe, 1-2 inches long, ripening from green to bronze or purple-red in early fall.
Twig: Red-brown to gray-brown, strongly zig-zag, lenticellate; buds mostly sunken, red-brown and pubescent; paired spines at each node may be hooked or straight; spur shoots bear fruit-producing branchlets.
Bark: Initially smooth and gray-brown, becoming irregulary furrowed with scaly ridge tops.
Form: A large shrub or small tree to 40 feet with an irregular crown and pendant branches.

Additional Range Information: Ziziphus zizyphus is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and is not known to widely escape cultivaton. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information