Diospyros nitida Seeds | Shiny Ebony
LATIN NAME: Diospyros nitida
COMMON NAME: Shiny Ebony
Plant Profile
Diospyros nitida, better known as Shiny Ebony, is an evergreen tree in the ebony family, native to warm forests of the southern China, while it is prized for its fine, edible fruits. In ebony family it is glossy-leaved, yellow-fruited tree of warm forests, a cousin of persimmon that carries both a sweet fruit and a dense timber. Mature plants top out at about Twenty metres. Add these qualities together and you have a species well worth a place in the garden.
Science & Biotechnology
Botanists studying the ebony family regularly include Diospyros nitida in comparative work, and the species also appears in horticultural trials aimed at gardeners and growers. Shiny ebony holds a place in food-science papers of warm forests, where small, round, yellow or orange fruits are studied for their fine, sweet value as a wholesome fruit of the region. For researchers, plants like this one offer practical material for propagation studies and selection work.
Uses & Benefits
Beyond its ornamental appeal, Shiny Ebony has the practical versatility that makes a plant worth growing from seed year after year. In warm garden, shiny ebony is glossy tree of fruit harvest. Its small flowers feed insects, its yellow or orange, fleshy fruits feed birds and wildlife, and round-headed, evergreen crown gives garden shade and shelter through the year. Sweet fruits are enjoyed as a fine fruit of region, and dense, dark timber serves crafts of the region. Thereafter it wants only the ordinary attentions any garden plant receives.
Persimmons are carotenoid-rich fruit, and their tannins made unripe fruit a traditional astringent; ebony relatives yield the world’s blackest cabinet wood.
Growing from Seed
Shiny Ebony is one of those generous plants that come along well from seed. Sow the seed evenly over the surface and cover lightly, using a loose, well-drained seed compost, and keep it just moist in bright light until the seedlings are well up. Pot the young plants on as they grow, harden them off gradually, and plant them into their final positions when sturdy.
Our Take
Shiny Ebony is the kind of plant that rewards a permanent spot. Careful watering early on is rewarded by toughness at maturity.
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