The Beri and Indian Jujube is a small to medium sized deciduous tree that is native to India and Pakistan. It has a spreading crown and a short trunk with a smooth, grey bark. The leaves are simple, ovate-shaped and have a toothed margin. They are dark green in colour and turn yellow or brown before falling off in autumn. The flowers are small, white and borne in clusters. The fruit is a small, red berry that is edible and has a sweet taste.
Benefits:
The Indian Jujube tree is valuable in traditional medicine and is used to treat a range of ailments including fever, diarrhoea, dysentery, constipation and indigestion. The fruit is also used as a laxative. The tree is also used for fodder and fuel.
How to care:
The Indian Jujube tree is easy to care for and does not require much maintenance. It is drought tolerant and can grow in most soil types. It prefers full sun but can tolerate some shade. It is a fast growing tree and can reach up to 15 metres in height.
Water requirement:
TheIndian Jujube tree is drought tolerant and does not require much water.
Pruning:
Pruning is not necessary but can be done to shape the tree.
Fertilization:
Fertilization is not necessary but can be done to promote growth.
Pest and Disease:
The Indian Jujube tree is resistant to pests and diseases.
Propagation:
The Beri tree can be propagated from seed or cuttings.Indian jujube can be propagated from seeds, or vegetatively, through in situ grafting or budding on to rootstocks. A spacing of 5-6 m or 8-9 m is often used. The trees begins to fruit within 2 years but do not yield sizeable crop before the fourth year. Once the fruits have been harvested, the trees must be pruned so that new fruits are produced on the next year shoots. In India, the best cultivars yielded 77 kg fruit/year but in Mali only 2.5 kg fruit/year were reached.
Landscape uses:
The Indian Jujube tree is suitable for use as a shade tree or a windbreak. It can also be planted in hedges or as a specimen tree.