Plants in Israel | Eriobotrya japonica

Eriobotrya japonica, Mespilus japonica, Photina japonica, Loquat, Medlar tree,

Hebrew: אסקדיניה ,שסק, Arabic: ,أسكدنيا

Scientific name:   Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl.
Synonym name:   Mespilus japonica Thunb., Photina japonica (Thunb.)Franch.&Sav.
Common name:   Loquat, Medlar tree
Hebrew name:   שסק, אסקדיניה
Arabic name:   أسكدنيا
Plant Family:   Rosaceae, ורדיים


Life form:   Evergreen large shrub or small tree
Stems:   Ultimate height of 6m; white hairs on young stems
Leaves:   Alternate, entire, serrated
Inflorescence:   Terminal,7cm long, stiff golden yellow panicle
Flowers:   5 petal white flowers
Fruits:   yellow, orange, sometimes red-blushed fruits, growing in clusters; each fruit contains five ovules, of which one to five mature into large brown seeds
Flowering Period:   Autumn
Origin:   China


Derivation of the botanical name:

Eriobotrya, erion, εριον, wool; botrys, a cluster of grapes; from the woolly, clustered panicles of this Evergreen large shrub or small tree.

japonica, Japanese.
Mespilus, Medlar. The Latin name for this fruit.
Photina, Greek, photizo, to illuminate, from the shiny, reflective leaves of some members of the genus.
Loquat, Via Cantonese lou gwat.
The Hebrew name: שסק, Shesek, Aramaic: שסקא Sheska; known in foreign languages as אסקידיניה, Eskidinia.

  • The standard author abbreviation Thunb. is used to indicate Carl Peter Thunberg (1743 – 1828), a Swedish naturalist.
  • The standard author abbreviation Lindl. is used to indicate John Lindley (1799 – 1865), an English botanist.
  • The standard author abbreviation Franch. is used to indicate Adrien René Franchet (1834 – 1900), a French botanist.
  • The standard author abbreviation Sav. is used to indicate Paul Amédée Ludovic Savatier ( 1830-1891 ), a French botanist.

The Loquat trees are dotted with puffed-up paper bags. The bags are tied to branches and enclose ripening bunches of orange-coloured loquats. They keep birds off, discourage insects, and by keeping the direct sun off, make for a sexier fruit. The loquat is allowed to mature fully on the tree. They bruise quite easily and do not keep well out of the fridge.

The fruit is pleasant when frosted or rotten and goes well with wine.