Australian black plum

What it is

The name belongs to Diospyros australis, also called yellow persimmon. It shares its genus with the familiar garden persimmon, Diospyros kaki. Each berry measures about 1–1.5 cm (0.4–0.6 in) across, changing from yellow through red to black as it ripens.

At the eating stage, the fruit gives easily under gentle pressure. Its purple flesh is sweet, and the seed takes up much of the middle. The green collar is the calyx: four lobes left behind by the flower.

Where it comes from

Black plum grows naturally along eastern Australia, from Durras Lake near Batemans Bay in New South Wales north into Queensland. Its home runs from warm-temperate, coastal, subtropical and tropical rainforest to dry rainforest inland. In the Illawarra, it grows in the shady lower layers beneath taller rainforest trees.

How it's eaten where it grows

In eastern Australia, First Nations people eat black plum as bushfood. The edible part is the purple flesh around the seed. Once the berries are black and soft, their sweetness makes them good for jellies, chutneys and jams.

How it's grown

In a garden, black plum can reach 4–10 m (13–33 ft), though it can be kept smaller in a large pot. It grows well in soil enriched with organic matter, in part sun or even heavy shade.

New plants grow from fresh seeds. Germination is slow, with most seeds sprouting after about three months.

When and where you'll find it

In eastern Australia, the fruit usually matures from February to July, spanning late summer, autumn and part of winter. Nurseries sell the tree, and it does well in gardens. In Wollongong, it also grows on the university campus tree walk, where the glossy green leaves have a distinctly dull, yellow-green underside.