The American Pomological Society is the oldest fruit organization in North America, founded by Marshall P. Wilder in 1848 to foster the science and practice of fruit production and variety development.

January 2024 Issue of Journal of the American Pomological Society, picture of loquat fruit which is orange.

Loquat, Eriobotrya japonica, is sometimes known as Japanese medlar or Japanese plum. It is an evergreen tree in the Rosaceae family and is susceptible to fire blight (Erwinia amylovora). Loquat is native to southeastern and central China and is grown at longitudes between 20° to 35°N, in southern Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, and parts of North, Central, and South America.

Photo: Jonathan Crane

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    While the Passiflora family has over 600 known species, only a few are considered to be of commercial quality for fruit production. The primary species is Passiflora edulis, the passionfruit. This species has two varieties, P. edulis var. edulis (purple) and P. edulis var. flavicarpa (yellow).