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Summary
Diospyros species,
Diospyros is a genus of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs mainly native to the tropics. Black Sapote or Chocolate Pudding Tree (D. digyna) is a fruit tree native to Central America and Western South America. The fruit is rich, dark chocolate brown, and somewhat sweet; it is eaten only when fully ripe and soft. Rather bland, the fruit is best mashed with a bit of orange, lemon or lime juice and chilled before serving. The immature fruit can be boiled and used as a vegetable. The fruit is rather dull but delicious when used in smoothies and jams. Sapote fruit after five years. Pick fruit after the sepals curl up. Black sapote is not related to White Sapote or Mamey Sapote. Harvest in spring to summer. Mature trees can withstand light frosts. Seedling trees commence bearing fruit when 5 – 6 years old, whilst grafted specimens can fruit when 2 – 3 years old. American Persimmon (D. virginiana) (Heat-tolerant in zones 9 through 1) has been successfully grown in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and California. It has an exquisitely rich flavoured fruit about the size of a plum when fully ripe. The unripe fruit is harsh and astringent. The fruit may not ripen properly in a cool summer, though if it is frosted, it develops a good flavour. The fruit is cooked or dried and used in bread, cakes, pies and puddings. American persimmon) is self-fertile. Harvest in autumn into winter. The Jackalberry or Monkey guava (D. mespiliformis) is native to tropical Africa. Sweet-flavoured fruit similar to Japanese Persimmon (D. kaki) is eaten raw, cooked, dried, or made into beverages by fermentation. A soft toffee is made from fruits, which, along with some other similar edible fruits, such as figs and dates, are known as Lubiya. The plant is widely used in traditional medicine in parts of Africa, and several medically active constituents have been isolated. Date Plum (D. lotus), hardy to -15°C (5°F), has exquisitely rich flavoured fruit when fully ripe. The smaller fruit of the Date Plum acquires a date-like flavour when dried. The native range of this species is NE. & S. Central Türkiye to Korea, but it has been introduced to other regions with pronounced dry, Mediterranean climates, including Albania, the Balearic Islands, Greece, Italy, and Spain, particularly in their coastal areas.
Physical Characteristics
Diospyros lotus is a deciduous Tree growing to 9 m (29ft) by 6 m (19ft) at a medium rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in July, and the seeds ripen from October to November. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). . The plant is not self-fertile.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
UK Hardiness Map
US Hardiness Map
Synonyms
Plant Habitats
Woodland Garden Secondary; Sunny Edge;
Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Fruit
Edible Uses:
Fruit - raw or cooked[2, 3]. The fruit has an exquisitely rich flavour when it is fully ripe (almost at the point of going bad), but it is very harsh and astringent before then[K]. The fruit may not ripen properly in a cool summer, though if it is frosted it normally develops a very good flavour[K]. The fruit can be dried, when it acquires a date-like flavour[61, 183]. The fruit can also be harvested in the autumn, preferably after a frost, and bletted[183]. (This is a process where the fruit is kept in a cool place and only eaten when it is very soft and almost at the point of going rotten). The fruit of trees in a fairly sunny position at Kew ripens on the tree in most years and produces fertile seed[K]. The fruit contains about 1.9% protein, 0.2% fat, 47.7% carbohydrate, 1% ash[179]. Fruits are about the size of a large cherry, they turn from yellow to blue-black when fully ripe[183]. The fruit is about 20mm in diameter[200].
References More on Edible Uses
Medicinal Uses
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Febrifuge Sedative
The fruit is febrifuge[178, 240]. It is also used to promote secretions[240]. The seed is regarded in China as being sedative[240].
References More on Medicinal Uses
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Other Uses
Rootstock Wood
Agroforestry uses:
Persimmon trees can be used in agroforestry systems for their edible fruit, which supports both wildlife and human consumption. They also provide shade and can improve soil structure.
Sometimes used as a rootstock for D. kaki[183]. Wood - durable, pliable, resists rot. Used for construction, general carpentry etc[74]. 1. Nectary - Flowers rich in nectar and pollen:
Yes – Persimmon trees produce flowers that are attractive to pollinators, especially bees. The nectar and pollen contribute to supporting beneficial insects.
2. Wildlife - Food (Fruit, Seeds, Leaf litter, Shelter, Nesting, Roosting):
Yes – The fruits of persimmon are a valuable food source for wildlife, including birds, mammals, and insects. The tree’s foliage can also provide shelter, and older trees may offer nesting or roosting sites for birds.
3. Invertebrate Shelter (Overwintering sites, Leaf litter, Groundcover):
Yes – The rough bark, leaf litter, and decaying matter around the base can offer overwintering and shelter sites for invertebrates.
4. Pest Confuser (Smell):
No – Persimmon does not have a specific odour that acts as a pest confuser or repellent.
Special Uses
Food Forest
References More on Other Uses
Cultivation details
Requires a good deep loamy soil in sun or light shade[200]. When being grown for its fruit, the tree should be given a warm, sheltered, sunny position[K]. It dislikes very acid or wet and poorly drained soils[200]. Dormant plants are very cold-hardy, but the young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender and so it is best to grow the plants in a position sheltered from the early morning sun[K]. Dioecious, but the female tree can produce seedless fruits in the absence of a pollinator[1]. It is likely that unfertilized fruits are more astringent than fertilized fruits since this is the case with D. kaki[K]. Plants have a long tap root and are difficult to transplant[200], it is best to plant them out in their permanent position as soon as possible and to give protection overwinter for the first year or two[K]. This species is sometimes cultivated for its edible fruit in Italy and E. Asia, there are some named varieties[142, 183]. Persimmons are typically harvested in autumn, depending on the species and climate.
Persimmons usually flower in late spring to early summer. Persimmon trees grow at a moderate rate, typically reaching maturity in 3 to 5 years, with a full height of 15 to 25 feet (4.5 to 7.6 meters) depending on the species and growing conditions. Some species of Diospyros, like Diospyros virginiana (American persimmon), are self-fertile, while others may require cross-pollination to produce fruit effectively.
References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information
Temperature Converter
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Plant Propagation
Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[113, 200]. Stored seed requires a period of cold-stratification and should be sown as early in the year as possible[78]. It usually germinates in 1 - 6 months at 15°c[175]. Pot up the young seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle into fairly deep pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Give them some protection from winter cold for their first year or two outdoors. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[200]. Layering in spring[200].
Other Names
If available other names are mentioned here
Native Range
TEMPERATE ASIA: Anhui Sheng, Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Gansu Sheng, Georgia, Guizhou Sheng, Hebei Sheng, Henan Sheng, Hubei Sheng, Hunan Sheng, Jiangsu Sheng, Jiangxi Sheng, Korea, Liaoning Sheng, Shaanxi Sheng, Shandong Sheng, Shanxi Sheng, Sichuan Sheng, Tajikistan, Turkey (east), Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Xizang Zizhiqu, Yunnan Sheng, Zhejiang Sheng,Iran (north). TROPICAL ASIA: Nepal, Pakistan (north),
Weed Potential
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Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :
| Related Plants
|
| Latin Name | Common Name | Habit | Height | Hardiness | Growth | Soil | Shade | Moisture | Edible | Medicinal | Other |
| Diospyros celebica | Indonesian Ebony, black ebony, makassar-ebenholts | Tree | 30.0 |
10-12
| S | LMH | N | M | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Diospyros conzattii | Zapote negro mont's, zapotillo. | Tree | 10.0 |
10-12
| S | LMH | N | DM | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Diospyros crassiflora | Benin Ebony | Tree | 15.0 |
10-12
| S | LMH | N | M | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Diospyros digyna | Black Sapote, Chocolate Pudding Tree | Tree | 15.0 |
10-12
| S | LMH | SN | M | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Diospyros ebenum | Ebony, Ceylon Ebony, Mauritius Ebony, Ebony Persimmon | Tree | 20.0 |
10-12
| S | LMH | N | M | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Diospyros kaki | Persimmon, Japanese persimmon | Tree | 12.0 |
7-10
| M | LMH | SN | M | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Diospyros malabarica | Indian Persimmon, Gaub, Timbiri, Mountain ebony | Tree | 35.0 |
10-12
| S | LMH | FSN | M | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Diospyros mespiliformis | West African Ebony, Monkey guava, jackalberry | Tree | 20.0 |
10-12
| M | LMH | N | M | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Diospyros mun | Mun Ebony, Vietnamese Ebony | Tree | 15.0 |
10-12
| S | LMH | N | DM | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Diospyros quaesita | Calamander, kalu mediriya | Tree | 30.0 |
10-12
| S | LMH | N | DM | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Diospyros tessellaria | Black ebony, Mauritian ebony | Tree | 15.0 |
10-12
| S | LMH | N | M | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Diospyros texanum | Black Persimmon | Tree | 12.0 |
-
| | LMH | SN | M | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Diospyros virginiana | American Persimmon, Common persimmon, Persimmon | Tree | 20.0 |
4-8
| M | LMH | SN | M | 5 | 1 | 3 |
|
Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.
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Botanical References
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