An eight-foot loquat tree is making an appearance at the foot of the Appalacian Mountains in northern Georgia thanks to a Bermudian-raised photographer.

Whitney Institute graduate, Neil Gibson was so fanatical about loquats during his youth he became known as "Johnny Loquat''.

Author, photographer and musician, 48-year-old Mr. Gibson is no stranger to trying something new.

He got the seed in Bermuda, germinated and planted them on a private school's property in the Piedmont Region where he is a caretaker.

Construction on school grounds threatened to tear up the tree but Mr. Gibson said he asked them to leave it.

"It's funny because now they're digging up and building all around the tree but that one spot.'' he snickered.

The Loquat tree is indigenous to China then man took it to Japan and India.

The tree now grows in southern Florida, California, Hawaii, Israel and Brazil.

In the Piedmont region of Georgia, weather fluctuates from winter lows of 12 or 13 degrees farenheit to 100 degrees in the summer.

The loquat tree is subtropical and mild-climate adapted. Possibly, well-established trees can survive the temperatures in northern Georgia.

Aberfeldy Nurseries Vice-President Gerald Tatem said: "What he's got there is called a micro-climate.'' Mr. Tatem said somehow, by reflected light, shade or wind shelter situations, the tree exists in a small area where it can thrive.

"I wouldn't say its unheard of but it's unusual. It's not way, way out of the realm of it's own hardiness.'' he added.

Mr. Gibson said: "Sometimes, the tree is so weighed down by all the snow and ice (in winter) it bends right over.'' The tree is in its fourth winter and surviving but unlikely to bear fruit because the killing temperature for the bud and mature flowers is 19 and 26 degrees farenheit, respectively.