Its deciduous leaves are medium to dark green, broadly lanceolate, stiff and equally wide as long.

Unusually, the kaki fruits ripen when the leaves have mostly fallen off the tree, typically in October and November.

The flowers are 2.0 to 2.5 cm (0.8 to 1.0 in) wide and appear in late spring or early summer, depending on variety and growing area.

Diospyros kaki is typically a dioecious species, which means that trees are either male or female, but some cultivated varieties are monoecious.

[citation needed] The persimmon is an edible sweet, slightly tangy fruit with a soft to occasionally fibrous texture.

When ripe, the fruit comprises thick pulpy jelly encased in a waxy thin-skinned shell.

The spherical to oval fruit, bearing the indented stem and four sepals, can weigh up to 500 grams (18 oz).

[citation needed] The high content of tannin in the still-immature kaki provides a bitter component reminiscent of a raw unpeeled chestnut, which weakens with progressive maturation.

The furry taste, caused by the tannins, is reduced and finally completely disappears during the ripening process.

[11] Kaki varieties are classified into four basic types, depending on the solubility of their tannin and the presence of seeds.

[12] The high content of the carotenoids beta-cryptoxanthin, beta-carotene, and zeaxanthin, along with some lutein and alpha-carotene makes the kaki fruit nutritionally valuable.

It is a PCA variety which is always treated with carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas to remove astringency before it is marketed.

a CO₂ treatment procedure has been perfected by which nearly all Rojo Brillante kakis are treated to remove astringency while still retaining their firmness and keeping qualities.

Because of this treatment, the "Rojo brillante" kaki has become an easily edible fruit highly appreciated internationally, with increased production.

This drop in export is entirely due to the fact that until now Italian kakis are not CO₂ treated and thus can only be eaten after they have turned soft.

[citation needed] Italy has recently developed a CO₂ treatment procedure that can be used on the Tipo variety but it is not commonly used yet.[when?]

Since 1935–40, it is also grown in small quantities in Bulgaria, particularly in the Upper Thracian Plain and on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast.

To reinforce these effects, the fruit is peeled before use, exposed to the sunlight during the day and to the dew at night, until a white powdery coating forms.

[citation needed] A vase adorned with a kaki cake, a pine branch and an orange is a symbol of the desire for "great happiness in 100 affairs.

[citation needed] Persimmon leaves used to wrap sushi is a regional speciality of Nara Prefecture, Japan.