Jujube, common name for any of a genus of evergreen and deciduous shrubs and trees of the buckthorn family. Jujubes are native to tropical and subtropical regions all over the world. Plants of the genus have small, regular flowers that produce drupaceous fruits. The common jujube, or Chinese date, native to warm regions of Eurasia, and the Indian jujube, somewhat smaller in size and native to India, produce fruits that are dried as sweetmeats. The common jujube is widely cultivated in China for its fruit and is grown as an ornamental plant in southwestern regions of the United States. The lotus tree is a North African species that produces a mealy fruit used to make cakes.

Scientific classification: Jujubes make up the genus Zizyphus, of the family Rhamnaceae. The common jujube, or Chinese date, is classified as Zizyphus jujuba, the Indian jujube as Zizyphus mauritiana, and the lotus tree as Zizyphus lotus.