Loquat (Rhaphiolepis bibas)

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Tree
Life cycle:	Perennial
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences:	Mesic Dry Mesic Dry
Minimum cold hardiness:	Zone 7a -17.8 °C (0 °F) to -15 °C (5 °F)
Plant Height:	Up to 20-30 feet (6-9m)
Plant Spread:	Up to 20 feet (6m)
Leaves:	Evergreen
Fruit:	Showy Edible to birds
Fruiting Time:	Late winter or early spring
Flowers:	Showy Fragrant
Flower Color:	White
Bloom Size:	Under 1"
Flower Time:	Late fall or early winter
Underground structures:	Taproot
Suitable Locations:	Beach Front Patio/Ornamental/Small Tree
Uses:	Provides winter interest Shade Tree Flowering Tree Will Naturalize
Edible Parts:	Fruit
Eating Methods:	Raw Cooked Fermented
Wildlife Attractant:	Bees Birds Butterflies
Resistances:	Humidity tolerant Salt tolerant
Propagation: Seeds:	Provide light Sow in situ Can handle transplanting
Pollinators:	Various insects
Containers:	Not suitable for containers

Common names

Loquat
Japanese Plum
Nespoli
Pi Pa

Botanical names

Accepted: Rhaphiolepis bibas
Synonym: Eriobotrya japonica
Synonym: Mespilus japonica
Synonym: Rhaphiolepis loquata

Photo Gallery

Location: Sandhills Horticultural Gardens Southern Pines, NC (Japanese garden)
Date: February 14, 2023
Loquat #165 nn; LHB p. 511, 95-21-1, "Greek for 'wooly cluster' f

Uploaded by WebTucker

Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2011-04-25

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: My garden
Date: 2015-04-01
We have two Loquat trees because we need shade and we enjoy the s

Uploaded by Kevalsha

Uploaded by WebTucker

Location: Aberdeen, NC (my garden 2022)
Date: February 14, 2023
Loquat #165 nn; LHB p. 511, 95-21-1, "Greek for 'wooly cluster' f

Uploaded by WebTucker

Location: Oak Hill, Florida
Date: 2014-10-26

Uploaded by plantladylin

Uploaded by WebTucker

Location: Algarve,Portugal
Date: 2022-03-31

Uploaded by Orsola

Uploaded by hlutzow

Location: Kyle, TX
Date: 2020-11-27
The blooms smell heavenly

Uploaded by christinereid54

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2010-04-25
A favorite fruit of the Gray Catbird!

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2010-04-25
Gray Catbird enjoying the fruit.

Uploaded by plantladylin

Uploaded by hlutzow

Location: My garden
Date: 2014-11-27
The flowers of this tree are very fragrant and attract beneficial

Uploaded by Kevalsha

Date: April 6, 2011
Branch with almost ripe fruit

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Raulston Arboretum NC State Univ Raleigh, NC
Date: 2024-02-13
A loquat cultivar called White Splash with white-flecked leaves

Uploaded by SL_gardener

Uploaded by hlutzow

Location: Barcelona, Spain | April, 2023
Date: 2023-04-03

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI
Date: 2017-12-05

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

$Date: April 1, 2011 Little \"plums\"$

Uploaded by plantladylin

Uploaded by plantladylin

Uploaded by sedumzz

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by robertduval14

Location: National Botanical Garden, DC, Virginia :) | May, 2022
Date: 2022-05-28

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Belle Isle Conservatory, Detroit, MI
Date: 2015-07-17

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Location: Hudson Florida
Date: 2018-04-07
Loquat fruit

Uploaded by Jendoop

Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2014-11-27

Uploaded by wildflowers

Uploaded by skopjecollection

Location: Potohar, Punjab.
Date: 2012-12-02

Uploaded by KAMasud

Location: New Orleans, LA
Date: 2013-03-30

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2009-10-04

Uploaded by plantladylin

Date: March 19, 2011
Fruit at different stages of ripening

Uploaded by plantladylin

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: Spring 2011
Foliage & Fruit

Uploaded by plantladylin

Uploaded by Edvinas

Location: Kyle
Date: 2018-09-07
Another survivor that made it even after getting 'chawed' on by d

Uploaded by christinereid54

Location: Botanical garden of Crete
Date: 2022-06-01

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by KAMasud

Location: Southwest Florida
Date: March 2013

Uploaded by Dutchlady1

Uploaded by christinereid54

Location: Temple, Texas
Date: 2021-05-22
Emerged 3 mos. after Feb. 2021 freeze with single digit temps for

Uploaded by Peggy8b

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Location: Seville, Spain | April, 2023
Date: 2023-04-06

Uploaded by sedumzz

Uploaded by KAMasud

Uploaded by skopjecollection

Uploaded by plantladylin

Date: December 18, 2010
Interesting blooms

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2013-03-13
2 year old seedling

Uploaded by TexasPlumeria87

Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2008-03-18
Growing in a container in zone 8a

Uploaded by TexasPlumeria87

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Location: Boca Risco - Madeira
Date: 2023-04-21

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Location: Potohar, Punjab.
Date: 2012-12-25

Uploaded by KAMasud

Uploaded by Dutchlady1

Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2014-12-21
December blooms attract bees and other pollinators

Uploaded by wildflowers

Location: Barcelona, Spain | April, 2023
Date: 2023-04-04

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2014-12-21
5 yr old tree - this is its first to bloom

Uploaded by wildflowers

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2011-01-16

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Backyard
Date: March 24, 2011
Eriobotrya japonica showing leaves & fruit

Uploaded by plantladylin

Date: February 28, 2011
New little fruit forming

Uploaded by plantladylin

Date: April 24, 2011
Gray Catbirds love the little Loquats

Uploaded by plantladylin

Uploaded by plantladylin

Uploaded by plantladylin

Date: October 24, 2010
Flower buds forming

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2015-11-12
Close up, it smells good too.

Uploaded by wildflowers

Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2015-01-26
Evergreen, adds winter interest to the deciduous forest

Uploaded by wildflowers

Uploaded by hementia

Location: Waynesboro MS
Date: 2004-11-11
The inner fruit is edible,somewhat sour and has 3 large seed

Uploaded by hementia

Location: Hudson Florida
Date: 2018-04-07

Uploaded by Jendoop

Location: Hudson Florida
Date: 2018-04-07
Multiple young plants growing under the main tree

Uploaded by Jendoop

Location: Sebastian, Florida
Date: 2017-03-26

Uploaded by plantladylin

This plant is tagged in:

Comments:

Posted by plantladylin (Sebastian, Florida - Zone 10a) on Sep 9, 2011 2:24 PM concerning plant:

The Loquat tree is native to China and Japan and is grown as an ornamental tree in the Southeastern part of the U.S. The tree can reach heights of 20' and the leaves grow to 10 inches in length. They are dark green on the top and fuzzy light green beneath. This tree requires full sun to produce flowers and fruit, but it will do fine in semi shady areas, where you just won't get as many blooms. The furry looking white flowers of Loquat are very fragrant. The Loquat tree makes a nice shade tree, but here in Florida the fallen fruit can be a bit messy and little trees sprout all over beneath the mature plant. Squirrels and Birds will eat the loquat fruit and bees and wasps are attracted to fruit when it is overripe.

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Posted by sedumzz (Fairfax VA - Zone 7a) on May 30, 2022 7:00 PM concerning plant:

The Chinese name for the Loquat is "枇杷". 枇杷 is pronounced as "Pi Pa" or "2Pi 2Pa". 枇 is composed of 木 (mu) and 比 (bi), which put together, is 枇, which is "Pi". 木 means wood, and when used as a side-part-thing, it means that the word is related to woody vegetation, trees, or just wood. 杷 is composed of 木 (mu) and 巴 (ba), which put together, is 杷, which is "Pa".

Note that in this composition, 木 shows the topic of the word, and 比 and 巴 give the sound of the word.

This extremely catchy name is pronounced like "Peee Pahhhh", where both words have the second "sound", where the tone of the word goes up as the word is pronounced.

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Posted by tabbycat (Youngsville, LA - Zone 9b) on Apr 6, 2020 11:37 AM concerning plant:

Loquat trees are in full fruiting here in Louisiana. We love eating these, regardless of the trouble doing so. Being low calorie and full of nutrition, they are a great snack. Now being golden in color, they are more sweet than tart. I'm a fan of them as evergreens and the intoxicating fragrance of their flowers in late fall.

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Posted by Baja_Costero (Baja California - Zone 11b) on Apr 6, 2020 12:06 PM concerning plant:

This fruit tree is reasonably common in Mediterranean climate (dry summer) gardens like those of coastal California, but it tends to grow lower when rainfall is limiting (perhaps an advantage) and it does not tolerate drought very well. Fruiting season (late winter/early spring) coordinates well with winter rainfall in these climates. This tree is a good companion plant for turf where rainfall is limiting because their water needs are similar.

Fruit best eaten directly off the tree (very short shelf life).

Reply to this comment
Posted by KAMasud (Alpha Centauri - Zone 9a) on Dec 2, 2012 6:48 AM concerning plant:

Control with pruning, weak wood can snap in storm.

Reply to this comment

Plant Events from our members
thomas	From March 7, 2016 to May 1, 2016	Harvested
piksihk	On March 23, 2020	Fruit Ripened Flowered and now fruiting
piksihk	On April 4, 2018	Obtained plant free - surprise tree
antsinmypants	On December 18, 2022	Miscellaneous Event One seed seems like it may be alive & soaking up water.
antsinmypants	On December 6, 2022	Miscellaneous Event Started soaking 6 seeds for 48 hours on HP & water.
WebTucker	On February 14, 2023	Obtained plant

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Rhaphiolepis Loquat (Rhaphiolepis bibas)

Rhaphiolepis
Loquat (Rhaphiolepis bibas)