Ehretia acuminata var. obovata ("Chishanoki")

Japanese name: チシャノキ （萵苣木）
Scientific name: Ehretia acuminata var. obovata

[Overview]
A deciduous tree about 10 m tall, found in forests and at forest edges along valleys, and sometimes planted near houses.
It sometimes reaches 20 m in height.
The bark is grayish brown, shallowly fissured lengthwise, and peels off in scales; damaging the trunk releases an odor.
The leaves are simple and alternate, obovate to obovate-elliptic, 5–20 cm long and 3–7 cm wide; the upper surface is rough with sparse appressed hairs, and the underside is hairless or sometimes has hairs in the vein axils or along the veins.
The leaf margins have fine, low teeth.
The petioles are 1.5–3 cm long and have appressed hairs.
Panicles at the branch tips bear many dense flowers.
The flowers are white and 0.5 cm across, and the corolla is 5-lobed and opens flat.
The fruit is a spherical drupe about 0.5 cm across, ripening yellow.

[Uses]
The young leaves have a flavor like chisha (lettuce) and can be eaten.
The fruit is also sweet and can be eaten.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed.
It prefers sunny, well-drained, fertile soil with moderate moisture.
It dislikes dryness, so water if sunny weather continues in summer and the soil dries out.
It is somewhat intolerant of pruning, so it is better to enjoy its natural form.
Scale insects can occur.

[Notes]
Because its leaves and bark resemble those of the persimmon, it has the alternative name Kakinoki-damashi.

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