Family: Rhamnaceae
Ziziphus jujuba (Chinese date, jujube) is a small deciduous tree/large shrub native to Temperate Asia. It is primarily grown in home gardens for its fruits, but not grown commercially for ornamental purposes. The fruits are said to have a taste similar to a date, thus the name Chinese date. They can be eaten fresh, canned, candied or dried. It has numerous traditional medicinal uses. It is reported to be naturalized in temperate to subtropical regions but is not documented to be naturalized on any Hawaiian Islands to date.
This plant is regarded as a weedy invasive plant in agricultural areas. Some other bothersome traits it has include, spines that can be a nuisance, broad suitability for different climates and soil types, ability to spread by both seed and root fragments, and ability to regrow after being cut back.
High Risk Traits:
- Broad climate suitability, and elevation range exceeds 1000 m, demonstrating environmental versatility
- Naturalized in temperate to subtropical regions
- Widely naturalized outside native range (but no evidence in the Hawaiian Islands to date)
- Regarded as weedy and invasive in landscapes and potentially in agricultural settings
- Other species in genus are invasive
- Spiny forms exist
- Potentially allelopathic
- Tolerates many soil types
- May form pure stands
- Reproduces by seeds and vegetatively by suckering and root fragments
- Hybridizes with other species
- Able to reach maturity in 1-4 years
- Seeds dispersed by birds and mammals, and intentionally spread by people
- Able to coppice and resprout after cutting and fires
Low Risk Traits:
- A temperate species that may be more of a risk to higher elevation, cooler regions of tropical and subtropical islands
- Spineless forms exist
- Provides fodder for livestock
- Non-toxic, with edible fruit and medicinal uses
- Light demanding (deep shade may limit ability to spread)
- Self-incompatible
- Transient seed bank does not persist beyond one year
- Herbicides may provide effective control if needed
