Re: Eriobotrya japonica

This stirred in me a recollection that English reference books had said loquats were not considered hardy in most of England. Sure enough, in Bean's Trees & Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles (revised ed, 1973) I find:
 
"Introduced to England in 1787 by Sir Joseph Banks, but not hardy enough to have ever become widely cultivated. It can only be grown against a south wall at Kew, where a plant has grown well for over thirty years, and makes a handsome and striking display of foliage, but rarely flowers." It goes on to mention a narrower leaved form growing on a wall in Northamptonshire which ". . . is not only quite hardy there but bears fruit in most years."
 
Most of the text in this reference was written by Bean in the period 1914-1933, but it was revised in the 1970s edition, so it's hard to know what is original.
 
What I wonder is . . . is Reg's report of its fruiting well in London one more piece of evidence for global warming? Or alternatively, has one of the hardier strains become distributed in England since Bean's time? Or thirdly, is it attributable to the effect of large cities on local climate?
 
I should mention that loquat is an old favourite here in Sydney. In my childhood we would often eat fruit from trees leaning over neighbourhood fences. It has become a minor weed of some moist gully forests.
 
Tony Rodd
Sydney
----- Original Message -----
From: R*@aol.com
To: m*@ucdavis.edu
Sent: Monday, November 29, 2004 11:16 AM
Subject: Eriobotrya japonica

Has anybody mentioned the Loquat? my favourite tree. It grows well here in South London as do many other Mediterranean plants and trees. It is a favourite of the local Turkish community, who call it 'New World." My Turkish neighbour has Loquats in her front and back gardens, both grown from seed, the front garden tree which gets good sun, fruited last year and has clusters of fragrant blossoms this year. The older leaves on my tree are beautiful, some 12 inches long and looking like they are embossed and cut from luxuriant green leather.  I have seen the tree undercultivation in Spain for its fruit, perhaps it is so common in the Mediterranean as not to get a mention. 
 
Reg Wickings
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