7 Best Jujube Fruit Tree | Stop Buying Dried Dates From the Store

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This is the most reliable path to a bearing jujube tree in the shortest time. Shipped in a 3-gallon pot with a trunk that reaches 3-4 feet, the root system is already mature enough to handle transplant shock better than any bare-root option. Owner reviews consistently report that trees arrive “larger than expected” with healthy green leaves and sometimes even early flower buds, indicating minimal shipping stress. The Li cultivar produces oval, 1.5-2 inch fruit that starts green and crisp in late summer then turns mahogany red and wrinkly by fall, tasting like a mix of apple and date.

The key advantage over smaller formats is the head start on canopy development. A 3-gal tree can put on 2-3 feet of new growth in its first season in the ground, whereas a 1-gal whip spends its first year just catching up. The 3-gal pot also means zero transplant timing pressure — you can keep it in the container for several weeks before planting as long as you water moderately. The tree is self-fertile, so a single specimen will produce fruit, but adding a second Li or a GA866 boosts fruit size noticeably.

The main downside is the price jump over smaller pots, but the cost per inch of mature trunk is actually lower when you account for the lost growth year of a smaller tree. Some reviewers noted minor shipping damage to the box (USPS sometimes crushes the packaging), but the tree itself survived because the pot provides structural protection that bare-root trees lack. If you want fruit in the second season after planting — not the fourth — this is the tree to buy.

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The GA866 cultivar is a newer selection that sets heavy crops in warmer climates where standard Li trees sometimes struggle to accumulate enough chill hours. This specific listing ships a 4-foot tall tree in a pot, which is the tallest pre-sized jujube commercially available without buying a field-dug specimen. Reviewers report trees arriving at 5 feet or more, already leafed out, and surviving transit in freezing weather — a strong sign that the root ball is fully intact and the seller packs with insulation.

The 4-foot height gives you a head start most other listings cannot match. You can plant it in spring and expect a small crop by the second summer rather than waiting three to four years. The GA866 fruit tends to be slightly larger than Li, with a rounder shape and a higher sugar content when fully ripe. The tree has a naturally upright growth habit, making it suitable for tighter spaces where a spreading Li might crowd other plants. It is self-fertile but benefits from cross-pollination with a Li tree planted within 50 feet.

The downside — rare but serious — is the reported presence of weed shrubs in the pot of one delivered tree. A single reviewer found woody weeds growing in the soil ball and disposed of the plant to avoid contamination. This may be a quality-control miss from the nursery, but the vast majority (four out of five verified reviews) rate the tree 5/5 and comment on its health. Still, inspect the root ball when you transplant and remove any foreign growth before planting in your garden.

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This is the standard entry-point for anyone who wants a proven cultivar without the premium of a 3-gal tree. The Li variety is the most widely planted jujube in home orchards across the southern US because of its consistent cropping and reliable flavor. The 1-gallon pot size is the minimum safe format for a jujube — it holds enough soil to keep the root ball moist during shipping, unlike bare-root whips that often arrive desiccated. At 2 feet tall, it is compact enough to fit in standard shipping boxes while giving you a tree that can go into the ground in spring and establish before summer heat arrives.

The biggest advantage of this size is the reduced transplant shock compared to buying a bare-root whip. Because the roots stay in their native soil all the way through transit, the tree does not experience the dormancy-forcing shock that bare-root trees undergo. You can plant it as soon as the soil is workable in spring and expect the tree to push new growth within two to three weeks. The Li fruit matures in late September in most climates, turning from green and apple-crisp to brown and date-chewy over a four-week window.

The main trade-off is growth timeline. A 2-foot tree in a 1-gal pot needs two full years in the ground before it produces a meaningful crop, whereas a 3-4 foot tree might bear in its second summer. That extra year of watering, mulching, and protecting from deer is the hidden cost. Also, the seller label is generic (no brand name listed), so the specific rootstock parentage is less traceable than a named nursery product. Overall, it is the most cost-effective way to get a healthy Li tree if you are patient.

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While not a jujube, the Pakistan Mulberry is a frequent companion tree for jujube orchards because both species thrive in similar conditions — well-drained soil, full sun, and low chill hours. The Pakistan variety produces elongated, blackberry-like fruit that reaches 3-4 inches long, far larger than standard mulberries. The flavor is intensely sweet with a hint of tartness, ripening in late spring to early summer, which fills the gap between jujube seasons. The 1-gallon pot format protects the roots during shipping and is a known standard from 9EzTropical, a seller with consistent packaging practices.

A key advantage is its partial sun tolerance. While jujubes demand full sun for max cropping, the Pakistan Mulberry can handle a bit of afternoon shade, making it useful for filling edges of the orchard that get less direct light. It is a fast grower and can add 3-4 feet per year once established, quickly creating a shade canopy that benefits smaller jujube trees. The tree is self-fertile, so a single specimen will fruit.

The critical limitation is that this is NOT a jujube — buyers specifically searching for jujube must keep that boundary clear. Also, 9EzTropical does not ship to certain Northern California ZIP codes (94*, 95*, 96***) due to agricultural import restrictions, which limits availability for a large segment of California home orchardists. If you are in those zones, look for a local nursery nursery instead. For everyone else, this is an excellent pollinator companion that extends your fresh fruit season by two months on each side of the jujube window.

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White mulberry is the fastest-growing edible canopy tree you can add to a jujube orchard, reaching 30-40 feet at maturity with a spread that provides dappled shade — beneficial for young jujube trees that can get sunscald in hot inland climates. This listing ships two bare-root plants at 12-18 inches tall, which is the smallest viable size for bare-root transplants. The heirloom designation means the genetics are open-pollinated rather than patented cultivars, so you can collect and save true-to-type seeds. The tree produces sweet, pale-golden berries that attract birds, helping with pest control in the orchard.

The chief advantage is zone range: zones 4-9 cover nearly the entire continental US, so white mulberry works where jujubes may struggle in zone 4 winters (jujubes are reliably hardy to zone 6). If you are in a colder area, the white mulberry can be the backbone of your orchard while you experiment with jujube in a protected microclimate. The trees are drought-tolerant once established, matching the jujube’s low-water requirement. They are also disease-resistant, needing no spraying even in humid climates.

The significant drawback is bare-root format. At 12-18 inches, a bare-root whip has very little stored energy, and if it dries out during shipping or sits unplanted for more than 48 hours, survival drops sharply. Soak the roots for 2-4 hours before planting, keep the planting hole wet for the first month, and consider shielding the whip from direct sun for its first season. Also, white mulberry roots are aggressive — do not plant within 20 feet of a septic system or foundation. For experienced orchardists who know how to handle bare-root trees, this is a solid value.

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The Red June plum is a self-pollinating, early-season fruit that ripens in June — a full two months before most jujubes — giving you fresh fruit continuity across the summer. Shipped in a gallon pot at 2-3 feet tall by DAS Farms, a nursery with stronger quality documentation than generic sellers, this tree is a proven performer in zones 4-8. The fruit is small, sweet, and clingstone, perfect for fresh eating or jam. The tree has a compact, rounded shape that stays under 15 feet, fitting neatly beside a jujube in a home-scale orchard.

The self-pollinating nature is crucial for gardeners with space for only one fruit tree — no second pollinator is needed. DAS Farms includes a 30-day survival guarantee if you follow their planting instructions (correct location and watering schedule), which reduces risk compared to listings without any warranty. The soil type specified is loam soil, which matches what most jujubes prefer: well-drained, not heavy clay. The pot format means roots are protected during shipping, and the company double-boxes the tree for extra safety.

The limitation is that this is a plum, not a jujube, and it requires a different pruning and thinning regimen. Plums need annual winter pruning to maintain an open center shape, whereas jujubes need very little pruning. Also, the Red June is susceptible to plum curculio in humid climates — unlike jujubes, which are essentially pest-free. If you want a low-spray fruit tree, stick with jujube. But if you want variety and your climate is dry enough to avoid curculio, this plum fills a valuable early-summer slot.

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Chicago Hardy fig is the most cold-tolerant fig cultivar available, surviving winter lows down to -10°F once established, which overlaps neatly with jujube’s zone 6 hardiness while pushing into zone 5 territory. This 4-pack gives you four rooted starter plants, each already showing green growth, for a per-plant cost that is hard to beat. The fam plants brand ships organic-certified material, and the fig is air-purifying (a minor benefit, but it helps indoor overwintering in cold climates). The trees typically fruit in their second season in the ground, producing small, sweet, brown figs in late summer.

The main advantage of the 4-pack is redundancy — if one starter fails to establish, you have three backups without waiting a year for a replacement. Plant them 6-8 feet apart in a sunny spot with loamy soil, and you get a mini fig grove that produces steadily from mid-August through first frost. The 15-foot expected height makes them manageable as multi-stemmed shrubs rather than standard trees, and you can cut them back hard in early spring without losing the crop because figs fruit on new wood. This matches jujube’s lack of pruning requirement — both trees are “plant and forget” once established.

The downside is the starter size. These are not 2-foot trees; they are rooted cuttings, roughly 4-6 inches at delivery, with only a few leaves. They need careful transplanting into 1-gallon pots for a season of growth before ground planting, which adds a year to the timeline. Also, while the fig is cold-hardy, its fruit ripening requires heat units that some zone 5 summers may not provide — you may end up with green figs that never sweeten. For the price, though, this is an excellent way to fill your orchard with a second fruit type while your jujube trees mature.