Eriobotrya japonica (Loquat)

Native to south-central China, this plant is an evergreen tree that can reach twenty to thirty-five feet tall. Its large, leathery leaves are glossy dark green above and covered with whitish to rusty hairs beneath. Clusters of five-petaled white flowers develop at the branch tips. The yellow to orange fruits have juicy flesh with a sweet to mildly tart flavor and large, dark brown seeds. The flesh is eaten fresh or used in fruit salads, pies, sauces, jams and jellies. Loquat has been cultivated in Asia for at least a thousand years and is grown commercially in subtropical and Mediterranean regions. Photographed in the Valley of Cauca, Colombia.