--- title: StepbyStep | How to grow a jujube tree from a jujube description: Discover how to grow a jujube tree from seed, from harvesting ripe fruit to nurturing seedlings, and learn about the fascinating history of this unique fruit. image: https://blog.treedom.net/hubfs/giuggiolo.jpg --- - [Sustainable Business](https://blog.treedom.net/en/tag/sustainable-business) - [Green light](https://blog.treedom.net/en/tag/green-light) - [Treedom World](https://blog.treedom.net/en/tag/treedom-world) - [Green Focus](https://blog.treedom.net/en/tag/green-focus) Topics - [Sustainable Business](https://blog.treedom.net/en/tag/sustainable-business) - [Green light](https://blog.treedom.net/en/tag/green-light) - [Treedom World](https://blog.treedom.net/en/tag/treedom-world) - [Green Focus](https://blog.treedom.net/en/tag/green-focus) [Go to Treedom](https://www.treedom.net/en/) - ![](https://blog.treedom.net/hubfs/Treedom_April2021/Images/treedom-assets/flag/en.svg) - [![](https://blog.treedom.net/hubfs/Treedom_April2021/Images/treedom-assets/flag/it.svg)It](https://blog.treedom.net/it) - [![](https://blog.treedom.net/hubfs/Treedom_April2021/Images/treedom-assets/flag/de.svg)De](https://blog.treedom.net/de) - [![](https://blog.treedom.net/hubfs/Treedom_April2021/Images/treedom-assets/flag/fr.svg)Fr](https://blog.treedom.net/fr) - [![](https://blog.treedom.net/hubfs/Treedom_April2021/Images/treedom-assets/flag/es.svg)Es](https://blog.treedom.net/es) [Go to Treedom](https://www.treedom.net/en/) - [Blog](https://blog.treedom.net/en) - [trees](https://blog.treedom.net/en/tag/trees) - StepbyStep |... # StepbyStep | How to grow a jujube tree from a jujube *Oct 12, 2026* | written by: [*Tommaso Ciuffoletti*](https://blog.treedom.net/en/author/tommaso-ciuffoletti) Condividi - ![facebook share](https://blog.treedom.net/hubfs/Treedom_April2021/Images/facebook-icon-round.svg) - ![Twitter share](https://blog.treedom.net/hubfs/Treedom_April2021/Images/twitter-icon-round.svg) - ![LinkedIn share](https://blog.treedom.net/hubfs/Treedom_April2021/Images/linkedin-icon-round.svg) If you have ever eaten a jujube, you may have wondered where this little fruit comes from, especially considering how dramatically its appearance changes as it ripens. When green, it is crisp and almost reminiscent of an olive; as it ripens, it becomes reddish-brown, softer and sweeter, eventually developing a flavour reminiscent of a date if it is left to shrivel. The answer is an equally unusual tree: the jujube tree (*Ziziphus jujuba*). It is a plant native to Asia, cultivated for thousands of years and introduced to the Mediterranean a very long time ago. It is particularly well suited to warm, mild climates, where it can grow even in poor, dry soils. It is a hardy, long-lived and rather curious species, with often thorny branches, small, inconspicuous flowers and fruit that ripens from late summer into autumn. But this time, let's do something a little different: instead of starting with the tree, **let's start with the jujube and work our way backwards, all the way to growing a new jujube tree.** ## The right moment If you know a beautiful, healthy jujube tree, you can simply wait until it produces fruit and collect a few. It is something I always recommend doing, because it allows you to experience one of the most wonderful kinds of magic nature can offer us: **turning a tiny seed into a large tree.** Jujubes generally ripen from late summer into autumn, although the timing can vary depending on the variety and the climate where the tree is growing. Choose a fully ripe, healthy jujube with no signs of rot. Eat the flesh and keep what remains: **the pit**. And this is where our experiment begins. ## From fruit to pit The jujube pit is quite hard and woody. Inside it is the actual seed, but this outer structure is one of the main obstacles to germination. So you cannot simply plant a freshly cleaned pit and expect a little seedling to appear within a few days. Jujube is a species with relatively difficult seed germination: the woody endocarp can prevent water from easily reaching the seed and contributes to its dormancy. Studies on the germination of *Ziziphus jujuba* have shown very low germination rates in untreated seeds, while scarification or removal of the endocarp produced considerably better results. For this reason, if you want to try it at home, it is worth paying particular attention to this stage. 1\. CLEAN THE PIT THOROUGHLY After eating the jujube, carefully remove all the flesh still attached to the pit. You can rinse it under running water and gently rub it with your fingers or a soft brush. It is important to remove any sugary fruit residue, because during storage it can encourage mould to develop. Then leave the pit to dry for a few days in a dry, well-ventilated place, away from direct sunlight. At this point, we can simply call what you have obtained the jujube seed, although botanically speaking, the hard part you are holding is actually the endocarp that encloses the seed. 2\. MAKE THE PIT MORE PERMEABLE This is perhaps the most delicate step, but it is nothing too daunting. You can do it! The problem is that the pit's shell is very hard and can prevent water from being absorbed. This is why we can use **scarification**, meaning a small incision or weakening of the seed covering to make it easier for water to reach the seed. This can be done with a small craft knife or a particularly sharp blade. If you choose this method, my advice is **not to hold the seed in your hand**, but to secure it with pliers. There is no reason to take unnecessary risks! For a home experiment, another relatively simple option is to slightly thin the shell with a file, working on one point of the surface and stopping as soon as the outer layer has been weakened. The aim is not to split the pit in two, nor to reach the seed inside it: you simply want to create a point through which water can penetrate more easily. Do this carefully. The seed inside is the part we want to protect. Studies on jujube propagation have shown that scarification does indeed improve germination compared with completely untreated seeds. And I can confirm this from personal experience: **I have never managed to germinate a jujube seed without first making an incision in it.** ## Letting it spend the winter ![giuggiolo\_2](https://blog.treedom.net/hs-fs/hubfs/giuggiolo_2.jpg?width=1280&height=852&name=giuggiolo_2.jpg) Once the pit has been prepared, we can make use of the season in which we find ourselves. If you have collected your jujubes in late summer or autumn, there is no need to rush and immediately put the seed into a warm pot indoors. In nature, the seed would go through the cold season before encountering favourable conditions for renewed growth. We can therefore prepare it for winter by keeping it in a cool, slightly moist environment. A practical method is to place it in a small container or bag with clean sand or lightly moistened vermiculite and keep it in the refrigerator for several weeks, checking it regularly. The material should be **moist, not wet**: we do not want to create a little swamp inside the container, but simply keep the seed from drying out. Cold, moist stratification is a general technique used to overcome dormancy in many seeds; the required duration varies greatly from one species to another. With jujube, however, it is important not to confuse this step with the solution to the main problem: the hard pit remains a significant obstacle. This is why scarification is still one of the most useful things to do before sowing. Sorry to repeat myself, but after trying and failing several times, I really want to stress which step I consider crucial in this process! ## In spring, sow the seed After the winter period, we can move on to sowing. Prepare a reasonably deep pot, because the jujube develops a root system that needs room, and use a light, well-draining growing medium. A standard seed-starting mix can be improved with some inert material, such as perlite or sand, to help prevent waterlogging. Plant the pit a few centimetres deep and cover it without compacting the soil too much. At this point, you need three things: **warmth, moisture and patience**. The growing medium should remain slightly moist, but never soaked. Place the pot somewhere bright and warm, avoiding intense direct sunlight until the seedling has emerged. And above all, do not get discouraged if nothing happens after a week. Jujube germination can be slow and irregular. The difficulty of germinating jujube seeds is well documented and also depends on the variety and the treatment used. For this reason, if you really want to carry out the experiment, **do not put just one pit in the pot**. Collect several and treat them in the same way. You will simply increase the chances that at least some of them will germinate. Before the shoot appears, you may see the most important - and least spectacular - part of the new plant: the root. The seed opens and a small white root begins to emerge from its base. This is the first sign that the process has worked. From this point on, it is important not to disturb the seed by constantly checking what is happening. If the root has emerged, leave it to develop in the growing medium. Soon afterwards, the shoot will appear, emerging from the soil and carrying its first little leaves. It is one of those moments when you really understand what growing a plant means: for months, all you had in your hands was a small, hard pit that appeared completely inactive. And then, suddenly, that little pit begins to build a tree. ## From seedling to jujube tree Once the young plant has developed several true leaves and a sufficiently established root system, it can continue growing in its pot. During this stage, there is no need to overdo the care. Jujube is a hardy species that loves sun and warmth. The most important thing is to avoid both prolonged drought while the plant is still very young and, above all, waterlogging. As it grows, the plant can gradually be acclimatised to outdoor conditions. Once it is strong enough, it can be planted in the ground, choosing a very bright, sunny position and soil that drains water well. As an adult, the jujube is particularly resistant to drought and can adapt even to poor, stony and calcareous soils. And here you need a little more patience: a jujube grown from seed will not necessarily be identical to the parent tree, and it may not produce fruit with exactly the same characteristics. Growing from seed is above all a fascinating way of obtaining a new plant. If you want to preserve the exact characteristics of a selected variety, fruit growers instead use vegetative propagation and grafting. ## But what kind of tree does it become? The jujube can grow as a small tree or take on an almost shrub-like habit. It has an irregular crown, twisted branches and, especially on young branches, thorns that can be quite robust. The leaves are small, oval and glossy, with three very prominent veins emerging from the base. The flowers are small and yellowish-green. They appear during the summer and are much less conspicuous than the fruits that will arrive a few months later. Then, between late summer and autumn, the cycle begins again. The jujubes first form green, then gradually become lighter and finally develop their characteristic reddish-brown colour as they ripen. At that point they can be picked and eaten fresh, or left to shrivel, when the flesh becomes softer and the flavour increasingly resembles that of a date. ## “Brodo di giuggiole” ![Image by Orna from Pixabay](https://blog.treedom.net/hs-fs/hubfs/ornaw-fruit-3983668_1280.jpg?width=1280&height=853&name=ornaw-fruit-3983668_1280.jpg) It is difficult to talk about jujubes without mentioning the famous Italian expression **“andare in brodo di giuggiole”**, literally “to go into jujube broth”. In Italian, it means being extremely pleased, delighted or happy. The jujube has a long culinary tradition: it is eaten fresh and dried and is used to make preserves, syrups and liqueurs. The famous *brodo di giuggiole* is still associated with several local Italian traditions, including that of Arquà Petrarca. And perhaps this is precisely what makes this plant so fascinating. The jujube does not have the monumental appearance of a chestnut tree, nor does it produce a fruit that is immediately recognisable like an apple or a pear. It is a small, somewhat wild-looking tree, often thorny, with understated flowers and fruits that seem almost to change identity as they ripen. And yet it is a plant that has been cultivated for thousands of years, capable of crossing continents, adapting to hot, dry climates and eventually finding its way into gardens far from its place of origin. So if you ever come across one when it is covered in fruit, you can do something very simple. **Pick one, eat it and save the pit. Because inside that little jujube, there is already, in potential, another jujube tree.** [![Plant now](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/8486845/70b00e29-df03-43ed-96a6-a067e58f0c62.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/8486845/70b00e29-df03-43ed-96a6-a067e58f0c62) [![For businesses](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/8486845/5521a90d-9d0e-459c-a0e2-719efc5b4c7e.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/8486845/5521a90d-9d0e-459c-a0e2-719efc5b4c7e) ### You may also want to read: [Show all](https://blog.treedom.net/en) - Trees - [Plant](https://www.treedom.net/en/plant-a-tree) - [Gift](https://www.treedom.net/en/gift-a-tree) - [Discover the tree' horoscopes](https://www.treedom.net/en/horoscope) - [Activate subscription](https://www.treedom.net/en/subscriptions) - Green ideas - [Capture CO2](https://www.treedom.net/en/co2) - [Your company](https://business.treedom.net/) - Impact - [Manifesto](https://www.treedom.net/en/manifesto) - [Agroforestry system](https://www.treedom.net/en/agroforestry) - [How we do it](https://www.treedom.net/en/projects) - [Countries](https://www.treedom.net/en/countries) - Who we are - [Treedom](https://www.treedom.net/en/about-us) - [Treedom in numbers](https://www.treedom.net/en/community) - [Team](https://www.treedom.net/en/team) - [Work with us](https://www.treedom.net/en/workwithus) - Need help? - [Customer Care](https://help.treedom.net/en) - [Contacts](https://www.treedom.net/en/contacts) - [Register of trees](https://www.treedom.net/en/page/register) ##### Social Copyright © 2020 Treedom s.r.l - [Legal information](https://www.treedom.net/en/page/contacts), [terms and conditions](https://www.treedom.net/en/page/terms), [privacy](https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/78150422), [cookie usage](https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/78150422/cookie-policy). 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