Loquat Love

I had never heard of loquats before San Francisco, but now I can't get enough!  They're another well kept secret due to the workings of the U.S. food industry that doesn't value produce that doesn't ship well.  Their loss is our gain, because they grow like wild in our climate!  The trees are native to Japan, and one of the brilliant gardening students at Mission High who grew up in Guatemala tells me the grow all over the place there too.  Don't mistake them for the bronze loquats which are also very popular in SF but don't produce fruit.  You can tell the difference because the non-fruiting trees have read leaves at the center of each bunch that reach upwards toward the sky.

Picking some low fruit off a small tree.

Loquats grow in small bunches so the easiest way to pick them off a tall tree is to cut the whole bunch and have folks holding a sheet or tarp under you to catch the fruit as it falls.

Teamwork!