Common name: Raisin tree
Other common names: Chinese raisin tree, Japanese raisin tree, Honey tree
Description
Native to China, Japan and Korea, this landscape tree grows 5 to to 10 meters tall in an open garden setting. It develops
Use
The flower stalks or pedicels become swollen with a honey-like substance and when dried have a sweet taste and texture similar to raisins or sultanas.
Climate
Although naturally adapted to temperate climates, it grows well in moderately humid subtropical and mid- to high-elevation tropical climates, generally in areas with average annual low temperatures of 9 to 19 °C, average annual high temperatures of 20 to 28 °C and annual rainfall of 600 to 2000 mm.
Raisin Tree is also cultivated with irrigation in dry, Mediterranean type climates with annual rainfall as low as 200 mm, such as in Arizona and California.
Growing
Problem features
Birds are know to eat the fruit and disperse the seed outside of cultivation. It is reported as an invasive species in Tanzania and is listed as a weed of the natural environment in Australia. It has naturalised in many countries, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand and other countries in Africa and South America.