Japanese Persimmon - Diospyros kaki cvv. - €15 per plant see below for cultivars)

This exciting tree is noted not only for its edible fruits but also for its excellent ornamental features. Fragrant flowers bloom in the late spring and majestic fruits hang on the tree until after the leaves drop in late autumn.  At around the same time, the fruits can start to be harvested, although they are not reay to eat until soft and fully ripe.  They are worth the wait - deliciously sweet and succulent with a large vitamin content. Many parts of the tree have medicinal properties.  It grows well in a sunny position and is a worthy candidate for a forest garden.  To order this plant please contact us balkanecologyproject@gmail.com. 

Context

  • native region: E. Asia - China, Japan.
  • native habitat:Not known in a truly wild situation
  • family: Ebenaceae

Pest and Predators

  • Generally pest tolerant.

Needs, tolerances 

  • Light: Semi-shade or no shade
  • soil pH:  Acid, neutral -basic alkaline 
  • USDA Hardiness Zone: 8a
  • Prefers moist soil 
  • Requires a sheltered position
  • Young trees require some winter protection for their first winter or two
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Known hazards 

  • No known hazards
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Overview

  • Deciduous Tree growing to 12 m by 7 m.
  • It is in flower from July - August, and the seeds ripen in November
  • The flowers are 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. 
  • Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil.
  • Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
  • It cannot grow in the shade.

Characteristics

  • form: Deciduous
  • layer : Upper Canopy
  • habit: Standard Tree
  • height x width (m): 12m x 7m

Products 

  • Fruit: The fruit has an exquisitely rich flavour when it is very soft and fully ripe (almost at the point of going bad). Fruits are particularly noticeable and attractive when hanging on a tree after leaf drop. 
  • Flowers: Fragrant, non-showy flowers bloom in late spring, with the creamy-white female flowers appearing solitary and the pink-toned male flowers appearing in clusters of three.
  • Seeds: Roasted seeds make  a nice coffee substitute

Functions, behaviours

  • The trees are usually very long living.
  • The young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender and so it is best to grow the plants in a sheltered position or in a microclimate
  • Trees produce a long taproot and should be planted out into their permanent positions as soon as possible
  • Dormant plants are quite hardy in Britain, tolerating temperatures down to about -14°c, but they do prefer warmer summers than are normally experienced in Britain in order to successfully ripen their fruit.

Diospyros kaki  - Persimmon Cultivars  - €15 per tree
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Cultivar - Hyakume
Size/Container - 1 - 1.5 m bare-root Feathered Maiden
Form Description - Round-oblong to round-oblate, somewhat 4-angled and flat at both ends; 7 cm long, 8 cm wide; skin pale dull-yellow to light-orange, with brown russeting when ripe; flesh dark-brown, crisp, sweet, non-astringent whether hard or ripe. Mid-season. Stores and ships well.

Cultivar - Hira Tanenashi
Size/Container - 1 -1.5 m bare-root
Form Description - Feathered Maiden
Oblate, somewhat 4-sided, astringent, thick-skinned; seedless; of high quality, but keeps only a short time after curing; excellent for drying.

Cultivar - Kostata
Size/Container - 1 -1.5 m bare-root Feathered Maiden
Form Description - Conical, pointed, somewhat 4-sided, 6.5 cm long,  5.4 cm wide, with salmon-yellow skin, light-yellow flesh, with no seeds; or dark flesh and a few seeds. Astringent until fully ripe, then sweet; late (Oct.-Nov). Keeps very well.

If you would like this plant please send an email to balkanecologyproject@gmail.com with your order. 
Balkan Ecology Project