Diospyros kaki
Habitat: Not known in a truly wild situation, it is found in broad leafed woodland but probably as an escape from cultivation.
Bloom color: White
Main Bloom Time: Spring-Summer
Harvest time: October–November (as soon as the leaves fall of.)
Growth: approx. 7 to 10 meters high
Edible parts: fruit
Other uses: plant dye, construction wood, mosquito repellent
Plants present at Son Selva: 1
Diospyros kaki vat. persimmon
The botanical name of the Kaki literally means "fruit of the gods". Kakitrees have been cultivated in China for over 2,000 years, making it one of the oldest cultivated plants. Today Kaki are grown worldwide, with 90 percent of the total in China, Japan and Korea.
How to take care of a kakitree
The trees are sensitive to frost and therefore need a location that is as warm as possible and protected from cold winds. The soil should be loamy, well-drained and rich in humus and nutrients. Fertilize in spring with compost on the tree disc. The water requirement is high, especially in summer during fruit ripening, otherwise the persimmon tree can cope with short-term drought.
Kaki trees typically do not bear until they are 3 to 6 years old.
Persimmon trees flower on the previous year's wood. Regular fruiting pruning is not necessary, but young trees should be established as a pyramid crown with a central shoot and three to four side shoots, like apple trees, so that the crown develops evenly. Persimmon fruits are not ready for harvesting until October, usually after the tree has already shed its leaves.
The fully colored orange fruits should be picked before the first frost. Ideally, they are already soft on the tree, otherwise you can put them in foil bags together with apples. They ripen at 12 to 15 degrees Celsius in two weeks at the latest. Alternatively, you can put the fruit in the freezer for 24 hours.
The persimmon is a refreshing change on the fruit plate, especially in winter. Due to its high sugar content, it provides a lot of energy.
We planted one Kaki tree this spring of the variety persimmon. These fruits are harder and they can be eaten with the skin, just like an apple.
Medicinal use:
It is said to have different properties
depending on its stage of ripeness, though it is generally antitussive, astringent, laxative, nutritive and stomachic. The dried ripe fruit is used in the treatment of bronchial complaints, whilst when ground into a powder it is used to treat dry coughs.
Other uses:
The pulp of unripe fruits is used in cosmetics to make face-packs because of its firming qualities. The wood is hard and durable with a beautiful grain. It is used for making fine furniture.