The date plum is displaying tiny flowers in the Woodland Garden.
The ebony family (Ebenaceae) contains approximately 575 genera from the tropics, subtropics and temperate zones, including Diospyros, of which there are some 475 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. All have alternate, ovate, glossy foliage. In our climate Diospyros lotus grows to 10m, but in its native Asia it can reach twice this size. It is unisexual, producing male flower in twos or threes on short, downy stalks in the leaf axils, and solitary female flowers. Male and female flowers are usually found on separate trees. Both produce large calyces, which persist on the globular, fleshy fruit to maturity. In autumn the leaves emit a heavy odour on damp days, which is believed to be the leaves exhaling.