Oriental Persimmon
Diospyros kaki
Embedded Files
*This map shows the current US range, not the native range.
It's native to eastern Asia and India, but it thrives in the Piedmont region. It's not considered invasive. There are many varieties, but generally it grows best in loamy, moist, well-drained soils and full sun.
Fruit: A 3-4", globular or oval, orange berry. They ripen in November and typically persist into winter.
Flowers: Female flowers are creamy-white and appear solitary. Male flowers are pink and appear in clusters of 3. Both types are bell-shaped. They bloom in mid-April to avoid damage from late frosts.
Uses: The autumn foliage and fruit makes it an attractive ornamental. The fruit is edible. The pulp of the unripe fruit can be used in cosmetics because of its firming qualities.
Ethnobotany: The leaves have been used in the past to make tea. The peels have been powdered for use as a sweetener, and the roasted seeds have been used as a coffee substitute. It's also been used for its many medicinal uses, such as as an astringent, a sialagogue, a styptic, a laxative, and more.
The bark of an oriental bittersweet. Bark is furrowed into rectangles or squares.
The foliage of an oriental persimmon. Leaves are simple and alternate.
A single leaf on an oriental persimmon. Leaves are 3-6" long, 4" wide, yellow-green at first but later glossy green. In the fall they turn yellow-orange to red.
The bud and petiole of an oriental persimmon.
The fruit of an oriental persimmon. Fruit is larger, and more ovular rather than globular, in comparison to the common persimmon. When cut through the middle, 8 lighter-colored lines are visible inside.
Page updated
Report abuse