Jujube (Xian Beauty)

Xian Beauty is a crisp, sweet jujube prized for fresh eating, with large fruit that colors to a deep, rich brown as it matures. Also sold as Zhanhua Dongzao (Ê≤æÂåñÂܨÊû£) in the U. S. nursery trade, this is a cultivar people choose when they want that classic “winter jujube” style crunch and sweetness once fruit is fully developed. Like many jujubes, the best flavor shows up when fruit is allowed to progress beyond the early green stage and into full color. Harvest a few at different stages your first season to learn your ideal window—crisp for fresh snacking, or fully mature for drying.

Overview

• Crisp fresh-eating jujube with sweet flavor at maturity
• Fruit colors to a deep brown finish as it ripens
• Flexible use: fresh eating or drying at full maturity
• Self-fertile; improved yield with another jujube nearby
• Harvest timing varies by region and season

Growing Details

Latin Name: Ziziphus jujuba ’Xian Beauty’
Primary Use: Fresh eating; also suitable for drying
Site and Soil: 1/2 day to full day of sun; well-drained soil
Chill Requirement: Low chill; exact requirements not well defined
Hardiness: USDA Zone 5–10
Rootstock: Grafted onto jujube rootstock
Bearing Age: Often fruits immediately; grafted trees may produce in their first season
Size at Maturity: Typically maintained at 10–15 ft tall and wide with pruning
Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer
Ripening Time: Mid- to late-season within jujube varieties; timing varies by region
Pollination: Self-fertile; improved yield with another jujube planted within 20–30 feet
Pests & Diseases: Generally low pressure; routine orchard hygiene recommended
Yield: Reliable producer once established

Additional Notes

• Grower’s Insight: Xian Beauty shines when you let fruit reach full color—crisp texture stays satisfying while sweetness becomes noticeably more complete.
• Regional Insight: Performs well across temperate regions, including areas with cooler late seasons where fruit can color up steadily over time.

• Additional Notes

  • Grower’s Insight: Xian Beauty shines when you let fruit reach full color—crisp texture stays satisfying while sweetness becomes noticeably more complete.
  • Regional Insight: Performs well across temperate regions, including areas with cooler late seasons where fruit can color up steadily over time.
  • Ripening Timing Clarification: There appears to be some confusion in the nursery trade around ripening timing for this variety, tied largely to naming overlap. Chinese-language sources describing Dongzao (“winter jujube,” ÂܨÊû£)—including Zhanhua Dongzao (Ê≤æÂåñÂܨÊû£), the name most often associated with Xian Beauty—consistently classify it as a late-season fresh-eating jujube, with natural maturity typically reported from late September into October or November in northern China. Given the depth and consistency of those primary sources, we consider the Chinese classification the most reliable reference point when setting expectations.
  • Plan on harvesting in more than one pass as fruit transitions from green to brown on the tree.
  • For drying, harvest fully brown fruit; flavor concentrates as moisture leaves the flesh.
  • Explore more jujube varieties in our collection: Jujube Trees