Diospyros lotus

Deciduous tree growing to 9m tall and 6m wide at medium rate. Hardy to UK zone 5, not frost-tender. Flowers in July with seeds ripening October to November. Dioecious and not self-fertile; both sexes required for seed production. Attracts wildlife. Grows in light, medium, or heavy soils with good drainage; tolerates mildly acid, neutral, or mildly alkaline pH. Thrives in semi-shade or full sun and prefers moist soil.

Description

A deciduous tree. It grows up to 15-30 m tall. It can spread to 8 m wide. The bark is furrowed. Young twigs are hairy. The leaf blade is oval and 5-13 cm long by 2.5-6 cm wide. The flowers are reddish or greenish-white. They are bell shaped. The male flowers are in clusters of 2-3 and the female flowers usually occur singly. The fruit are brown or yellow berries. They turn dark purple when ripe. They are 2 cm across.

Edible Uses

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked, with an exquisitely rich flavour when fully ripe — almost at the point of spoiling — but very harsh and astringent before then. It may not ripen fully during a cool summer, though frosting typically brings out a very good flavour. The fruit can be dried, at which point it takes on a date-like flavour, or it can be harvested in autumn — preferably after a frost — and bletted (kept in a cool place and eaten only when very soft and nearly rotten). Fruit on trees in a fairly sunny position at Kew ripens on the tree in most years and produces fertile seed. The fruit is about 20mm in diameter, roughly the size of a large cherry, turning from yellow to blue-black when fully ripe. Nutritional composition: approximately 1.9% protein, 0.2% fat, 47.7% carbohydrate, and 1% ash.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are eaten raw or preserved and used in wine and vinegar. The fruit are astringent and usually need special treatment. They need to be very ripe. The fruit can be dried.

Medicinal Uses

The fruit is febrifuge and is also used to promote secretions. The seed is regarded in China as being sedative.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It is native to S.W. Asia and Northern Iran. It grows between 500-2500 m altitude in southern China. They grow between 1,180-2,000 m altitude in Kashmir. It is very cold hardy. It does not tolerate acidic soils. It suits hardiness zones 5-9. In Sichuan and Yunnan. Arboretum Tasmania. National Arboretum Canberra.

Where It Grows

Afghanistan, Armenia, Asia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Balkans, Bhutan, Britain, Caucasus, Central Asia, China, Colombia, Cuba, Europe, Georgia, Greece, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Iran, Italy, Japan, Korea, Laos, Macedonia, Mediterranean, Middle East, Myanmar, Nepal, NW India, Pakistan, Russia, SE Asia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Tibet, Turkey, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, West Indies,

Cultivation

Requires a good deep loamy soil in sun or light shade. When being grown for its fruit, the tree should be given a warm, sheltered, sunny position. It dislikes very acid or wet and poorly drained soils. 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. Dioecious, but the female tree can produce seedless fruits in the absence of a pollinator. It is likely that unfertilized fruits are more astringent than fertilized fruits since this is the case with D. kaki. Plants have a long tap root and are difficult to transplant, 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. This species is sometimes cultivated for its edible fruit in Italy and E. Asia, there are some named varieties. 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.

Propagation

Seed is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed requires cold stratification and should be sown as early in the year as possible. Germination usually occurs within 1–6 months at 15°C. Pot up seedlings into fairly deep pots as soon as they are large enough to handle, and plant out into permanent positions in early summer. Provide some protection from winter cold for the first year or two. Cuttings of half-ripe wood can be taken in July or August in a frame. Layering can be done in spring.

Other Uses

Persimmon trees suit agroforestry systems, offering edible fruit for wildlife and human consumption, shade, and improved soil structure. This species is sometimes used as a rootstock for D. kaki. The wood is durable, pliable, and rot-resistant, and is used in construction and general carpentry. Flowers are rich in nectar and pollen and attract pollinators, especially bees. The fruit is a valuable food source for birds, mammals, and insects; the foliage provides shelter, and older trees may offer nesting or roosting sites for birds. Bark, leaf litter, and decaying matter at the base provide overwintering and shelter sites for invertebrates.

Other Information

The fruit are sold in markets. It is widely cultivated for its edible fruit in Iran.

Notes

There are about 485 species of Diospyros mostly in the tropics.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Amblook, Amlok, Amlook, Amlot, A-mu-dong-ba-shing, Asian lotus plum, Caucasian persimmon, False lote-tree, Hirnik, Hpunmang, Jun qian zi, Junqianzi, Kawo amlok, Keshen amalok, Khveulebrivi khurma, Lotosni ebenovec, Palo santo, Shishu, Tazhi, Tazhu, Thi bi, Thi sen, Toor amlock, Ziar amluk

References (61)

• Afzal, S., et al, 2009, Ethno-botanical Studies from Northern Pakistan. J. Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad 21(1)
• Ahmad, I., et al, 2011, Ethnobotanical Study of Tehsil Kabal, Swat District, KPK, Pakistan. Hindawi Publishing Corporation Journal of Botany Volume 2011, Article ID 368572, 9 pages
• Ali, H., et al, 2011, Ethnobotanical profile of some plant resources in Malam Jabba valley of Swat, Pakistan. Journal of Medicinal Plants Research Vol. 5(18), pp 4676-4687
• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 177
• Amin, M., et al, 2023, Edible wild plant species used by different linguistic groups of Kohistan Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 19:6 p 9

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