Date Plum

Diospyros lotus

A close relative to the persimmon; native to temperate Asia and southeast Europe. Date plum is one of the oldest cultivated fruits, written about by the ancient Greeks.
 

The small fruit are orange with a thin edible skin, and when picked off the tree they are incredibly astringent. However, once harvested and allowed to dry off the tree for a few days to a couple of weeks they become incredibly sweet and delicious, with a smooth texture and a flavor that is a mix of date and persimmon. Frost can remove the astringency. They can also be dried which makes the sugary-date flavor much more pronounced.  

The fruit are quite small, about the size of a cherry tomato but trees are heavy bearing. The fruit are clustered on the tips of the branches, making it easy to snip them off and hang them up to dry in clusters. 

Our plants are seedling grown from a self fertile tree, so they should be self fertile. They are easy to grow and tolerant of clay soils. They grow to 6+ metres but can easily be kept at a standard fruit tree size.

Date plums are grown all over the world in temperate, Mediterranean and subtropical climates and will grow throughout New Zealand. They are frost hardy.

Fruit are ready from late autumn into winter, so they are a great option for filling the seasonal gap over the colder months.

Size: 1.3L