Diospyros kaki in China, Japan and Korea. In East Asia the main harvest time for "kaki" is in the months of October and November. The trees lose their leaves by harvest time. Occasionally, the brightly colored fruit is left unharvested on the tree as a decorative effect. In China, "kaki" has been cultivated since time immemorial. It is considered to have four virtues: Cultivation of this species at first spread through East Asia. Since the 19th century, "kaki" partially replaced date-plum ("Diospyros lotus", also known as Caucasian persimmon) in some countries in South Europe and West Asia, because "kaki" have bigger fruits
Diospyros medical compound betulinic acid. Extracts from "Diospyros" plants have also been proposed as novel anti-viral treatment. Though bees do not play a key role as pollinators, in plantations "Diospyros" may be of some use as honey plants. "D. mollis", locally known as "mặc nưa", is used in Vietnam to dye the famous black "lãnh Mỹ A" silk of Tân Châu district. The reverence of these trees in their native range is reflected by their use as floral emblems. In Indonesia, "D. celebica" (Makassar ebony, known locally as "eboni") is the provincial tree of Central Sulawesi, while ajan kelicung ("D. macrophylla")