This Asian fruit tree withstands any drought and is becoming a spring trend.

While many gardens are finding that apple and cherry trees can barely hang on to their leaves after a third scorching summer, an unfamiliar fruit tree from Asia has suddenly started appearing in gardening groups, forums and nurseries. It copes strikingly well with blazing sun, poor soils and even severe frost-and that is exactly why more and more amateur gardeners see it as a beacon of hope for dealing with the climate emergency in their own back garden.

The jujube tree from Asia: an unexpected new star

The jujube tree (Ziziphus jujuba)-often referred to simply as the jujube or the Chinese date in English-originates in northern China and Mongolia. In its native range it has to endure true extremes: winters down to -25 °C, summers reaching 40 °C, and very dry air. Those conditions have shaped the tree, making it particularly appealing for increasingly arid parts of Central Europe.

Examples that have been growing for decades in southern France already demonstrate just how resilient this tree can be. When other fruit trees start curling their leaves during heatwaves, the jujube tree remains notably unfazed. Its crown stays vigorous, flowering sets reliably, and fruit can still ripen even when watering is limited.

In specialist circles, the jujube tree is already regarded as the “fruit tree of tomorrow” – easy to care for, drought-tolerant and remarkably long-lived.

For amateur gardeners dealing with water restrictions or hosepipe bans, this can make it a genuine alternative to apple, pear or cherry.

Why the jujube tree copes so well with drought

Unlike many traditional fruit varieties, the jujube tree is not fussy about its growing medium. It tolerates:

• very poor, low-nutrient soils