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
Ebony prized for its luxuriant, multi-colored wood grain. Mauritius ebony, "Diospyros tessellaria", was largely exploited by the Dutch in the 17th century. Some species in the genus "Diospyros" yield an ebony with similar physical properties, but striped rather than evenly black ("Diospyros ebenum"). Ebony has a long history of use, with carved pieces having been found in Ancient Egyptian tombs. By the end of the 16th century, fine cabinets for the luxury trade were made of ebony in Antwerp. The wood's dense hardness lent itself to refined moldings framing finely detailed pictorial panels with carving in very low relief (bas-relief), usually