The Lovely Loquat

Loquats are fully hardy and evergreen in Seattle and impart a tropical look to the garden. Each late winter my loquat tree (Eriobotrya japonica) sends out "candles" of new foliage. The new leaves are exceedingly pale and lovely, and quickly turn tough and dark green. As they unfurl, the stems below lengthen rapidly, adding 1-2 feet (30-60 cm) to each branch.

 

The paleness contrasts nicely with the wood and mature leaves. A bit of bad pruning is visible here behind one of the new shoots: 

 

Loquats are vigorous when happy. Mine gets a hard pruning a couple times a year. I have heard that I chop off branches from my loquat each year than most people who grow them in the Northwest have in total plant volume. Trimmings from last summer:

Each time I chop off enough to fill a 100 gallon (375L) compost bin:

 





The tree always bounces back quickly. The graceful leaves in the shade seem to unfurl more quickly than those in full sun. I love the contrast:

Bloom Day Addendum: Loquat

I overlooked my loquat tree (Eriobotrya japonica), which has been blooming steadily since about Thanksgiving, for the December bloom day. The buds and blooms have survived two rounds of mild frost without damage so far.

 

Loquats rarely set fruit in Seattle due to the blooms' sensitivity to cold. Fingers crossed I might see some fruit this coming year.