GA-866

'GA-866' is a US-bred selection out of the Chico Plant Introduction Station in California, credited to William Ackerman, with parentage that was never recorded. It holds a specific distinction: at 36 to 39.5 degrees Brix in NMSU trials it is the sweetest jujube cultivar in general American circulation, well ahead of 'Li' or 'Sugar Cane'. That concentration makes it a favorite among people who dry their crop, though it eats very well fresh too. The tradeoffs are patience and season. The tree grows strongly upright with few branches off the trunk, is not precocious, and yields only moderately while young, and the fruit ripens late. Growers who can supply a long warm autumn generally consider it worth the wait.