Diospyros virginiana |
Native Region: Eastern North America
Zone Range: 4-9
Preferred Climate: Full/semi sun; well draining fertile loamy soils
Harvest Date: Saturday 08 September, 2012
Seed count: 20-25
Description:
An unusual fruit tree from the Americas. Worthy as an ornamental with its luxurious leathery dark green foliage, thick petaled bell like creamy white flowers, but its sweet fruit is much prized and considered tastier than its Asian (D. kaki) cousins. How good is it? When translated the genus means 'Fruit of the Gods'. Best (read...awesome!) when harvested after being touched by frost as this sweetens the golden-buff fruits. Tropical tasting fruit doesn't keep long after picking (heck, you'll be eating them with abandon anyway...raw or cooked). Flesh texture is somewhere between cooked apples and firm custard. Awesome fall colour and also a great shade tree.
Notes:
Doesn't recognize its own pollen...therefore not self fertile. You need two for fruit.
Cultivation:
Soak seed 24 hours. Cold stratify 60-90 days. Sow in a sand/peat top layer. Germinate at 20 C. Can take 30-60 days to germinate. Sow thinly as these seedlings are very bushy and growth isn't as vigorous when growing close together. Perhaps best to start in deep plug trays until you see roots coming out of the drain holes then pop them into individual one gallon pots to grow out. Don't let seedlings freeze in their first winter.
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