Diospyros virginiana In respect to the power of making heartwood, the persimmon rarely develops any heartwood until it is nearly one hundred years old. This heartwood is extremely close-grained and almost black, resembling ebony (of which it is a true variety). It is a common misconception persimmon fruit needs frost to ripen and soften, called bletting. Some, such as the early-ripening varieties "pieper" and "NC21"(also known as "supersweet"), easily lose astringency and become completely free of it when slightly soft at the touch—these are then very sweet, even in the British climate. On the other hand, some varieties (like the very large
Diospyros is that of West Nusa Tenggara. The emblem of the Japanese island of Ishigaki is the "Yaeyama kokutan" ("D. ferrea"). The Gold apple ("D. decandra"), called "Trái thị" in Vietnamese, is a tree in the Tấm Cám fable. It is also the provincial tree of Chanthaburi as well as Nakhon Pathom Provinces in Thailand, while the black-and-white ebony ("D. malabarica") is that of Ang Thong Province. The name of the Thai district Amphoe Tha Tako, literally means "District of the "Diospyros" pier", the latter being a popular local gathering spot. Diospyros Diospyros is a genus of over 700 species of