American Persimmon

American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) is a deciduous, woody tree native to the central and eastern United States. It is grown for its fruit, its fall color and its distinctive bark, which is thick, dark gray and divided into square blocks. In home landscapes it can grow 30 to 50 feet (9 to 15 m) tall with a spread of 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 m), though one profile gives a wider range up to 80 feet (24 m) tall.

Seed is one of three ways to propagate this tree, along with grafting and root cutting, but no sowing date, seed depth or germination time is given in the material available here. Most persimmons are either male or female, and you need both to get fruit. Some varieties are described differently: ‘Prok’ is called self-pollinating, while another guide notes that native persimmons are rarely self-pollinating. For Iowa, ‘Yates’ and ‘Meader’ are suggested, especially in southern Iowa. Plant in full sun to partial shade in moist, well-drained, sandy soil. The deep taproot makes the tree hard to transplant, so choose the final spot with care.

Little fertilizer is needed; normal lawn fertilizer is usually enough for a tree in the landscape. Pruning should be minimal, removing dead, injured or crossing branches. Young trees benefit from pruning to build a strong branching structure that can hold heavy fruit later. Newly planted trees need regular water, but once established they need no extra watering except in drought.

Leaf spot may occur, fruit drop can be messy, and mature trees send up root suckers that can become a weed problem. Pests that can affect the tree include scale, persimmon psyllid, caterpillars and persimmon borer, and diseases include fungal leaf spot, twig dieback and powdery mildew. Chemical control on large trees is usually not feasible because the spray cannot cover the foliage well.

Fruit ripens in fall, and it stays astringent until it is fully ripe and soft. The fruit can stay on the tree after the leaves fall and is not harmed by freezing temperatures. Native persimmons usually ripen near or after the first frost. Trees from seed can take four to nine years to bear fruit, and grafted trees about two to four years.

Unripe persimmons can be kept at room temperature to ripen. Once ripe, store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to three days. Pulp can be frozen in freezer bags and used within one year.

Eat only fully ripe, soft fruit, because unripe native persimmons are too astringent to eat until they are completely ripe.