HEIGHT up to 90 ft (27 m)
TYPE Deciduous
OCCURRENCE China, cultivated in Japan
Also called Sharon fruit, the kaki has a short, crooked trunk and a dense crown. It has over 1,000 cultivars. Its fruits are of two types. The astringent type, with high levels of soluble tannins, cannot be eaten until fully ripe and is best grown in cooler regions. The non-astringent type needs hot summers. BARK Grayish brown, scaly, and divided into square plates. LEAF Alternate, leathery, ovate to elliptic or rounded, dark green above, pale green and hairy beneath, at least on the veins. FLOWER Males and females on separate trees; males: yellowish or red, with white corollas, borne in clusters of 3–5; females: yellowish white, solitary. FRUIT Large, spherical to ovoid berry, with a large, persistent calyx.
