Diospyros malabarica (Indian Persimmon, Gaub Tree, Malabar Ebony, Black-and-White Ebony, Pale Moon Ebony)
Botanical Information
Family | Ebenaceae |
Genus | Diospyros |
Species | malabarica |
Synonyms | Diospyros biflora, Diospyros citrifolia, Diospyros embryopteris, Diospyros glutinifera, Diospyros glutinosa J.Koenig, Diospyros peregrina, Diospyros siamensis, Embryopteris gelatini |
Category | Tropicals, Woody |
Type | Tree (evergreen) |
Origin | East Asia including India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, and Indonesia. |
Ethnobotanical Uses Disclaimer | Unripe leaves and fruits were traditionally used to dye cloth black. |
Details
USDA Hardiness Ref. | |
Canadian Hardiness Zone | Requires cold season protection under glass. |
Canada Hardiness Ref. | |
RHS Hardiness Ref. | |
Height | 5 - 37 metres |
Growth | Medium |
Description and Growing Information
General Description | An evergreen tree with a much-branched, spreading crown; it can grow 15 - 37 metres tall. |
Shape | A dense conical crown. |
Landscape | It is suitable for parks and streetscapes with its attractive new leaves that are pink in colour, as well as its dense conical crown. |
Propagation | By seed. |
Cultivation | Grow in rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. |
Pests | Scale insects, spider mites, mealybugs, downy mildew, powdery mildew, rust leaf spots, and fungal root rot. |
Notable Specimens | Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Royal Park Rajapruek, Mae Hia, Thailand. |
Habitat | Lowland rainforests along rivers and streams at elevations up to 300 metres. Often found in shady and wet sites near streams in the forest at elevations up to 500 metres. |
Bark/Stem Description | Black, smooth, straight, cylindrical trunk can be unbranched for 10 - 20 metres and may be 70 cm in diameter. The inner bark turns bluish on exposure to sunlight. |
Leaf Description | Alternate, stalked leaves are oblanceolate, 7-32 cm long, emerging pink in colour, and gradually turning beige then eventually to dark green. |
Flower Description | The male flowers are formed in 3-5 flowered cymes in leaf axils. Female flowers are solitary, 4-parted, with 4 styles, and an 8-celled ovary. |
Fruit Description | Round and yellow when ripe, up to 3.5 cm in diameter, and seated on a persistent sepal structure. |