Diospyros Lotus (Date Plum)

I came across a tall tree laden with berry like fruits and wondered what it may be. I collected some of the seeds of fallen fruit and went home to inspect them!

They looked very similar to persimmon seeds but much much smaller. So I researched persimmon types and finally found what I was looking for: Diospyros Lotus (date plum) !

It turns out that it’s native to eastern Black Sea region and it’s called ‘fart date’ in Turkish! Apparently when you eat a lot of it it makes you fart! 

I know that persimmon is native to Japan and there’s another type that is native to North America. It’s interesting how fruits travel and adapt to certain regions!

The fruits of date plum are small (good snack size), have a couple of seeds, and just like regular persimmon, they get sweeter as they ripen. 

Next step is to sow these seeds and see if they sprout!

It seems like date plum can be a good addition to a backyard food forest. The tree I collected the seeds from was very tall, growing in a shady area. I think it can be kept small and productive.