Japanese Plum Eriobotrya japonica
Other Common Name(s):
Other plants called Japanese Plum:
Previously known as:
- Crataegus bibas
- Mespilus japonica
- Phonetic Spelling
- er-ee-oh-boh-TRY-ah jah-PON-ih-kah
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
-
A tropical evergreen shrub or tree with alternate, simple leaves that are leathery, veiny, and toothed. The top of the leaf is smooth while the bottom is downy, with short hairs. The plant usually does not fruit in NC due to its cold sensitivity. If the temperature falls below 28 degrees F, blooms or fruit likely will not survive. The tree itself can survive in temps down to about 10 degrees F.
The tree is an accent or screening plant which attracts hummingbirds and bees. When planted in an area where the fruits will not set, its rounded, compact form makes it a great street tree.
This plant is resistant to damage by deer and is moderately salt tolerant. It is native to China and Japan, Its leaf texture has winter interest.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Fire blight can be troublesome on this tree. The bacterium that causes fire blight, Erwinia amylovora, is spread by rain and insects, such as bees, ants, flies, aphids, and beetles.
Diseases include rots, cankers, blight, scab, and leaf spot.
Dropping fruits can be a litter problem in locations where fruit set occurs.
Quick ID Hints:
- coarsely serrated, wrinkled leaves 6-9" long
- 3-6" long panicles form in summer
- stem, bud, leaves tomentose (a dense layer of short, matted, wooly hairs)
Blooms late fall through winter, coarsely textured, can be used as specimen or as an espalier.
Prefers moist, well-drained, loamy soil, full sun but will tolerate partial shade. Easy to grow, tolerates alkaline soil, drought, fireblight can be a problem.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- ‘Golden Nugget’
Has sweet orange fruit. - ‘Macbeth’
Has large fruit with yellow skin and creamy flesh. - ‘Variegata’
Has attractive green/white variegated leaves.
- ‘Golden Nugget’
- ‘Golden Nugget’, ‘Macbeth’, ‘Variegata’
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- ‘Golden Nugget’
Has sweet orange fruit. - ‘Macbeth’
Has large fruit with yellow skin and creamy flesh. - ‘Variegata’
Has attractive green/white variegated leaves.
- ‘Golden Nugget’
- ‘Golden Nugget’, ‘Macbeth’, ‘Variegata’
- Tags:
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-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Eriobotrya
- Species:
- japonica
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Historically used medicinally.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Asia: China, Japan
- Distribution:
- Tropical or subtropical areas
- Wildlife Value:
- Flowers attract hummingbirds and bees.
- Play Value:
- Attracts Pollinators
- Buffer
- Easy to Grow
- Edible fruit
- Fragrance
- Wildlife Food Source
- Wind Break
- Edibility:
- Fruit flesh is edible raw or in jams, jellies, pies, syrups, and marmalades. Fruits are a good source of dietary fibers, vitamin A, B6, and B9. They are also a good source of potassium, iron, and copper. The fruits have a soft texture and taste similar to apples, although they are not crispy like apples.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Perennial
- Poisonous
- Shrub
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Ascending
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 6-feet-12 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
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-
Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Orange
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Spring
- Fruit Type:
- Pome
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- Pear-shaped, 1-2 inches fleshy, and yellow-orange. Pome, 1-2" long, pear-shaped or oblong, contains large seed.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Winter
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Flowers are 5-petals small, white to whitish-pink and fragrant. 3-6" terminal panicle, covered with brown pubescence. Formed in summer. Fragrant, whitish, 5-petaled, ½-3/4" across.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Leathery
- Prickly
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Whorled
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Lanceolate
- Linear
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Wrinkled, dark green, leathery and toothed. Leaf texture provides winter interest. Simple, alternate, linear, usually 6-9" long, 3-4" wide. Dark green above, lighter green with rusty brown down beneath. Coarsely serrated, wrinkled, strong parallel veins, short, petiole.
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Bark:
- Bark Description:
- Bark has a coarse texture to it.
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Grayish with woolly hairs
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Coastal
- Houseplants
- Lawn
- Patio
- Recreational Play Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Children's Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Flowering Tree
- Screen/Privacy
- Small Tree
- Specimen
- Street Tree
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Hummingbirds
- Pollinators
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Salt
- Problems:
- Poisonous to Humans
-
-
Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Low
- Poison Symptoms:
- If large quantities of cracked seed pits are eaten: weakness, vomiting, labored breathing, twitching, stupor, convulsions. A low risk for poison exists if one cracks multiple seeds and eats them. The risk is from the kernel pit inside the seed. Large quantities of cracked seeds would need to be eaten for toxicity to occur.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Cyanogenic glycoside
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Seeds
