Diospyros kaki Diospyros kaki Diospyros kaki, also called persimmon, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus "Diospyros". Although its first published botanical description was not until 1780, the "kaki" is among the oldest plants in cultivation, known for its use in China for more than 2000 years. In some rural Chinese communities, the "kaki" fruit is seen as having a great mystical power that can be harnessed to solve headaches, back pains and foot ache. The persimmon ("kaki") is a sweet, slightly tangy fruit with a soft to occasionally fibrous texture. This species, native to China, is deciduous, with broad,
Diospyros virginiana to vary in the character and quality of its fruit, in size this varies from that of a large cherry to a small apple. Some trees in the south produce fruit that is delicious without the action of the frost, while adjoining trees produce fruit that never becomes edible. It was brought to England before 1629 and is cultivated, but rarely if ever ripens its fruit. It is easily raised from seed and can also be propagated from stolons, which are often produced in great quantity. The tree is hardy in the south of England and in the Channel Islands.