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Common Persimmon
(Diospyros virginiana)
Common Persimmon is the tree that rewards patience. It is a tough, adaptable native of modest size and a fall crop of soft, sticky-sweet orange fruit that wildlife will line up for. It largely skips the high Appalachians, but in the South Atlantic states it’s about as common as a tree can be. It can be found along fencerows, roadsides and field edges, and, quite often, it is one of the very first trees to move into an abandoned field. Common Persimmon is frequently recommended for reclamation sites. Ripe fruit is soft, sticky and messy, so it’s best to plant them away from sidewalks, patios and parking areas.
Persimmon fruit is a round, soft berry that ripens from September into November and turns pale orange to pinkish-red. Each fruit holds anywhere from one to eight flat brown seeds, though, every now and then, a particular fruit has none. Here's the part everyone learns the hard way: an unripe persimmon is so astringent it will turn your mouth inside out! It’s advisable to wait until the fruit is fully ripe and soft, (almost mushy) for the flavor to turn rich and sweet. Softness is the test, and persimmons keep ripening after they're picked.
Common Persimmon is dioecious, which means each tree is either male or female. Only female trees bear fruit, so they need a male tree within pollinating range to produce viable fruits. One male tree can pollinate a good number of female trees. If fruit is your goal, plant a community of Persimmon trees so the odds for both male and female trees are strongly in your favor.
For wildlife, Common Persimmon is a fall and winter feast. And the list of animals is vast: Songbirds, wild turkeys, bobwhite quail, crows, white-tailed deer, raccoons, opossums, gray and fox squirrels, foxes, coyotes, skunks, rabbits and black bears all eat the fruit.
After animals consume the fruits, they carry the seeds off to start new trees. Deer also browse the leaves and twigs. The fruit has been eaten fresh, dried, baked into puddings and breads and even brewed, and the roasted seeds have been ground as a coffee stand-in during lean times. In addition to its consumable fruits, Persimmon is a larval host for the luna moth and the hickory horned devil. The flowers are worked by bees which is why many beekeepers count persimmon among their honey plants.
Persimmon wood is heavy, hard, strong, very close-grained and shock-resistant. Woodworkers prize it for turning, veneer and other small specialty pieces where hardness and an even texture count.
Why container-grown matters:
Common Persimmon sends down a strong taproot in its very first year, and that deep root system is exactly why it has a reputation for being difficult to transplant. Natural seedlings are hard to move successfully after being dug up from the ground. Our container-grown persimmons arrive with every bit of that root system intact, along with their own familiar soil, so they settle in with far less shock than a dug tree.
Persimmon spreads by root suckers and sprouts readily when cut, so expect a small thicket over time. If that is undesirable, it’s best to mow around the tree. Ripe fruit is soft and messy, so give female trees a spot away from sidewalks, patios and parked cars.
Important Considerations:
For humans, eating large amounts of persimmon, especially unripe or dried fruit, has been linked to phytobezoars in people, which are hard masses of fruit fiber that can block the stomach or intestine. This is uncommon, but it is a documented risk.
Persimmon is a known cause of colic in horses and may cause sickness in livestock.
For information regarding common diseases and pests of Common Persimmon visit Clemson Cooperative Extension's Home and Garden Information Center.
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Conditions
Light:
- Full Sun to Partial Shade
Soils:
- Clay, Loam, Silt Loam, Sandy Loam.
- Soil pH XXXXXXXX
- Moist, Well Drained
- Best growth is on deep, moist, rich bottomland soils.
Tolerances:
- Drought; well adapted to hot, dry, sunny sites.
- Poor, worn-out soils.
- Salt spray.
- Short-term flooding.
- Re-sprouts readily after fire or cutting.
Growth
Expect a Common Persimmon to grow at a slow to moderate pace. It usually forms an upright tree with a rounded or conical crown and slightly drooping branches. On dry old-field sites it may stay a shrubby 15' to 20', while on good soils it grows into a handsome shade tree.
Mature height will be medium, typically ranging from 30' to 60' with a spread of 20' to 35'. On the very best bottomland sites it can reach 70' to 80' with a trunk 20" to 24" in diameter.
Lifespan ranges for Common Persimmon are quite varied, but it is broadly accepted that its prime fruit-bearing age is around 50 years old.
Production Note:
Persimmon is dioecious, which means each tree is either male or female. Only female trees bear fruit, so they need a male tree within pollinating range to produce viable fruits. One male tree can pollinate a good number of female trees. Planting a community of Persimmon trees improves the odds for pollination.
Manufacturer's Specs
Carbon Storage Characteristics:
- Slow to Moderate Growth
- Medium Size
- Heavy, Dense Wood
Young Tree Carbon Storage Estimate at about 10 years old:
- CO₂ stored = approx. 164 lbs.
- CO₂ sequestered = approx. 38 lbs. per year
Pollution/Dust Interception:
- Low to Moderate
Flood/Stormwater Abatement:
- Moderate
Oxygen Yield:
- Information Varies