What does 'dioecious' mean in the description of Diospyros rhombifolia (노아시)?
This question is asked when coming across an unfamiliar word written under the cultivar characteristics while browsing Diospyros rhombifolia (노아시) bonsai, and wanting to know how it relates to enjoying the fruit.
It refers to a plant characteristic where female and male flowers do not bloom together on a single tree, but bloom separately on different trees.
While some plants have both female and male flowers blooming together on a single tree, other plants grow as completely separate female and male trees. Diospyros rhombifolia (노아시) is a dioecious cultivar where the sex of each individual plant is distinguished in this way[1].
Generally, in dioecious plants, fruit only bears on female trees after receiving pollen from male trees. If you only grow a male tree, it will bloom but it is difficult to see fruit in autumn, which is why checking the tree's sex becomes an important criterion for bonsai intended for fruit appreciation. The Diospyros rhombifolia (노아시) sold by Atelier AECHAE is a female tree that can bear fruit[2].
hmmm, for those bringing in a tree expecting fruit, indicating the plant's sex serves as a criterion that helps gauge the desired appearance in advance.
It has not yet been confirmed whether a male tree is needed nearby to bear fruit, or if separate artificial pollination is required.