Loquat are variable in flavor. I can pick two of mine that are the same size and color and one will be sweet and the other tart. The largest I know of (though none are REALLY very large that I've seen) was the Yehuda and flavor was just OK.

I had a Christmas variety that was Waayyy too variable, most were very tart so I pulled it. The "Supreme" I have is in a shady spot and it gives fruit in the winter when only carambola are fruiting so it stayed.

The loquat just isn't a crowd pleasing fruit, so where you live you may be happier with persimmon, mulberry, nectarine, pineapple guava, lychee or other tree.

They are worth it, and grow just fine from seed. There are super sweet (with huge fruit) named cultivars as well. I just have regular ol' loquat in my yard which are seedlings that I dug up. :)

This is a good question. The answer depends on who you are.

The good thing is that loquat is very easy to grow.

Not for me b/c I don't like the flavor. Easy tree to grow.

I would say the taste of loquat is fair to good, but definitely not amazing. It's not a fruit people dislike but it's not that amazing either. It's probably not a fruit most people would be extremely enthusiastic about, although there are a few. Part of the reason is the small flesh to seed ratio. Loquat can be a fun tree to have growing in your yard because it is a little bit different from the usual fruit and the trees are prolific producers.

One of the reasons they are not sold in stores is they have a very short shelf life; they are best eaten soon after being picked from the tree.

Because the flavor can vary from tree to tree, I would recommend trying them several times. A good loquat has an amazing flavor!

personally, i love the flavor of the fruit, and ive only had seedling types.

i used to eat them as a kid. its really the only fruit tree besides figs and a couple of citrus that anyone ever grew around here.

I think if you like sour fruits you would like it.

i now have 3 trees from seed. they are a bit over 3yrs and none have fruited so far. 1 plant has 1 limb grafted with a named variety. i want to get a few more scions to have different types and different fruiting times.

it has to be the most trouble-free plant i have. they are strong growers with little need for outside help.

Like i said, i dont have any fruiting yet, and they are all seedling types, but i hear they can ripen late Jan through May, which is a long season if you graft a few types to it. its also a time of year when not much else is fruiting, which is a huge selling point for me. - Kids love them also.

Ok. I'm not sold on putting it in the ground now, but it may be worth keeping in a container. Does anyone know if they can be grown in large containers -- say 25 gallon? Thanks.

Yes and would make a pretty tree in a container