Hovenia dulcis

The Japanese raisin tree, or Oriental raisin tree in the Rhamnaceae family and is a hardy tree found from Asia, over Eastern China and Korea to the Himalayas, up to an altitude of 2,000 m. It is a medium tree up to 30 m tall.

It is the most pervasive invader in Brazilian subtropical forests.

• Leaf is deciduous, alternate, simple, broadly oblong or elliptic-ovate, 7–17 cm long and 4–11 cm across, pointed, veins curving towards the tip; leaf margin is irregularly serrate or coarsely serrate.
• Flowers are yellow-green, 6-8 mm in diameter in terminal or rarely auxiliary, asymmetrical panicles. Sepals are ovate-triangular 2.2–2.5 long and 1.6–2 mm across; flowering is in May to July.
• Fruit is first green, turning red and then dark purple in the fall; it is fleshy and tastes like a raisin.