What jujube resources does Beijing have? A detailed guide

Fresh-eating jujubes

The jujubes planted in Beijing's urban districts are mainly early- and mid-maturing fresh-eating varieties, such as Langjiayuan jujube, Jidan jujube, Gaga jujube, Mayabai jujube, Hongcunbai jujube, Changxindianbai jujube and others. They ripen around the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month (mid-September on the solar calendar). Old Beijingers call this "beating big jujubes on August 15." Langjiayuan jujube is a native and famous product of Beijing and one of the most suitable famous jujube varieties for fresh eating. Its fruit shape is well-proportioned and attractive, its juice is sweet, its flesh is crisp, and its stone is small. When fully ripe it turns entirely red. In the Qing Dynasty it was a tribute to the imperial palace. It has high economic value, strong adaptability and a wide range of adaptation, making it a fresh-eating variety with great promotion value and development prospects.

Dry-eating jujubes

Dry-eating jujube varieties are only distributed in small amounts in Beijing's urban districts; most are concentrated in the mountainous and piedmont areas of the suburbs or near suburbs, such as Miyun small jujube, Xiangshan small white jujube, small red jujube, Yingluo jujube, Xifengshan small jujube and others. Among them, dried Miyun small jujube products are famous at home and abroad. Their drying rate is as high as 60%. The dried jujubes have thick flesh with good elasticity; when the flesh is pulled apart, very long golden sugar strands can be drawn out, hence the name Miyun golden-thread small jujube. However, because of its low resistance to jujube witches' broom disease, it was almost wiped out by the disease in the 1960s and 1970s, with only scattered plantings remaining. Yingluo jujube is the most representative local variety in Beijing, with strong tree vigor, high yield, strong adaptability and tolerance of barren soil.

Ornamental jujubes

Because Beijing was the ancient capital of successive dynasties, and most people liked to plant jujube trees with ornamental effects, for example, gourd jujube (many gourd types) and dragon-claw jujube (many types) were planted in the Forbidden City courtyard and on Guozijian Street, and a small number were also planted in residents' courtyards. Gourd jujube is deeply loved by growers for its distinctive fruit shape and is suitable for courtyard greening and beautification; its fruit can be eaten fresh. Dragon-claw jujube has important ornamental value because its tree shape and fruit shape are twisted and peculiar.

Sour jujube

Beijing is rich in sour jujube resources. Wild sour jujube trees grow on hillsides of all sizes and in the piedmont alluvial belts around Beijing. In addition, some fresh-eating sour jujube varieties are scattered in the city or suburbs, such as Tiger Eye sour jujube, Apple sour jujube, Horse Tooth sour jujube and others. In 2001, during the survey and collection of Beijing jujube resources, a type of sour jujube was discovered with great development potential.

Newly introduced and promoted jujubes

In Beijing's suburban districts and counties such as Pinggu, Shunyi, Changping and other places. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, pear jujube was introduced in large quantities, and in the mid-1990s winter jujube was planted in large quantities. However, due to the influence of various natural conditions, although pear jujube has high yields when planted in Beijing, its quality is worse than in its place of origin; winter jujube planted in some areas of Beijing sets fruit late, has low yields and cannot fully mature.