Date Plum
Diospyros lotus
Family: Ebenaceae
What it is like
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. 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.
Height (m): 9
Where it is found
Mixed mountain forests to 1500 metres in China.
E. Asia - China, Japan. Himalayas.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 5
Fruit - raw or cooked. 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. The fruit may not ripen properly in a cool summer, though if it is frosted it normally develops a very good flavour. The fruit can be dried, when it acquires a date-like flavour. The fruit can also be harvested in the autumn, preferably after a frost, and bletted. (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. The fruit contains about 1.9% protein, 0.2% fat, 47.7% carbohydrate, 1% ash. Fruits are about the size of a large cherry, they turn from yellow to blue-black when fully ripe. The fruit is about 20mm in diameter.
Medicine
Rating: 1
The fruit is febrifuge. It is also used to promote secretions. The seed is regarded in China as being sedative.
Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.
Sedative: Gently calms, reducing nervousness, distress and irritation.
Other
Rating: 2
Sometimes used as a rootstock for D. kaki. Wood - durable, pliable, resists rot. Used for construction, general carpentry etc.
Rootstock: Plants used as the rootstock for grafting scions onto.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
How it is grown
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.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed requires a period of cold-stratification and should be sown as early in the year as possible. It usually germinates in 1 - 6 months at 15°c. 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. Layering in spring.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Secondary; Sunny Edge;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 7-9
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist