When do white loquats ripen? What month is the ripening period in?

The white loquat is a perennial evergreen tree of the Rosaceae family. Red loquats and white loquats are distinguished by the color of their flesh, and it is one of the early-ripening fruits of Jiangnan. So, when do white loquats ripen?

1. When do white loquats ripen

White loquats generally ripen during the period from early May to late May, though the ripening time of white loquats varies somewhat from region to region. For example, Xiangshan white loquats generally do not ripen until around mid-to-late May. Tangqi white loquats ripen at around mid-May.

2. White loquat varieties

1. Ninghai white loquat

The Ninghai white loquat is a high-quality new white-fleshed loquat variety bred by the Ninghai County Agriculture and Forestry Bureau in 1994 at Yishi Town <> through seedling grafting. It has the advantages of large fruit, high sugar content, thin skin and abundant juice, a pleasant sweet-and-sour taste, flesh that melts in the mouth, and a rich flavor. Testing showed that the soluble solids content of this loquat is 13-15%, with a maximum of 19.2%, and the edible rate is 73.4%. Its overall quality indicators surpass similar products at home and abroad. In 2004, this white loquat variety was recognized by the State Forestry Administration as a national-level improved variety for forestry promotion.

2. Putian white-fleshed loquat

Putian loquat is one of the four famous fruits of Putian and is a geographical indication product of Putian City. Putian City is mainly dominated by red loquats, chiefly “Jiefangzhong”, “Changhong No. 3”, “Puxuan No. 1”, “Zaozhong No. 6”, and others. Its single-fruit weight is the largest in China (the largest single fruit of Jiefangzhong weighs 172 grams, the highest in the world), its cultivation technology is the most advanced, and the main production area, Changtai Town, is known as “China's No. 1 Loquat Township”.

3. Wuzhong loquat

“Wuzhong loquat” has been cultivated since the late Tang Dynasty and is distributed across the Dongting East and West Hills, Guangfu, and other mountainous areas, with Dongshan having the widest area and the best quality. Wuzhong loquats are divided into two major categories, white-fleshed and red-fleshed, with the white-fleshed ones produced in Dongshan being considered superior. White-fleshed loquat has more than 10 varieties, including Xiaobaisha, Yadan Baisha, Biqi loquat, Qingzhong Baisha, and Zhaozhong Baisha. Among them, Zhaozhong Baisha is produced in Cangchuanwu, Chawan, Dongshan, and was named for the careful cultivation by the fruit farmer He Rongquan in the late Qing Dynasty. Its fruits are uniform and neat, shaped like a round ball but slightly flattened, with thick flesh and abundant juice, crystal-clear flesh color, tender texture, moderate sweet-and-sour taste, melting in the mouth, refreshing and not greasy, and it has the reputation of “silver honey jar’’. The new grafted variety of Zhaozhong white has large fruit, pure white, sweet and tender flesh, abundant juice and few seeds, and is as transparent as jade carving under light, making it an even finer product among white-fleshed loquats.