The loquat (Eriobotrya japonica), also known as the níspero in Spanish, is a beautiful tree that bears a round, yellow fruit. The fruit is known to be very sweet and to have medicinal properties. Read along as I explain a bit more about the tree and where it comes from!
The níspero tree is a very wide tree or shrub that grows more outwards than upwards and is rounded at the top. The tree does not typically grow very tall, usually staying under about 13 feet. Similar to other trees, the níspero has very dark and long leaves that are tough and feel like leather from a jacket. The side underneath the leaves reminds me of a peach, because it is very fuzzy and soft.
The tree bears yellow fruits called the loquat that grows together in small, oval-shaped clusters. The níspero trees seen in the pictures that I took have not yet begun to bear the loquat fruit, and have only started flowering. When the fruits begin to grow, they will have a yellow-orange color.
