Persimmon Tree How To Identify (Pics), Grow Zones, Care for Persimmon Trees

Image Credit: Charlie Yoon (CharlieYoon)²⁴

With so many varieties and species, it is unfortunate that the persimmon is not a common fruit in market stalls in the country, but wait, what if you plant one of your own?

You would want to know everything about it. For starters, the Persimmon Tree is a remarkable ornamental tree that has a sort of tropical look, sure to stand out in your garden.⁸

The leaves are deciduous, meaning that you can expect different shades over the fall. But most of all, the fruits have the most ornamental appeal; wondering what color is a Persimmon Fruit, imagine a fleshy, rounded ball that is orange or yellow in different shades.

The best part is that there are so many variations that you can choose from. If you thought that fruits from a Wild Persimmons Tree were exceptional, imagine growing your favorite type at home.

You also have the option of going for the Dwarf Persimmon Tree or the Semi-Dwarf if you don’t want an extremely tall tree towering over your home.⁹ Many people love these small ones because they are easier to handle and also work in urban settings.

This is especially helpful if you don’t live in the right growing zone for persimmons.

Diospyros Virginiana Persimmon Tree Facts You Should Know

You will likely come across several types of Persimmon Trees in various parts of the world. Their orange fruits are quite famous in the US, but did you know that only 2 species live and thrive in the country? The common persimmon (Diospyros Virginiana) and the Asian persimmon (Diospyros kaki).

The Virginiana is quite popular and the one you may opt for when choosing to plant, and here are some fun facts about it.

1. The Diospyros virginiana/Common Persimmon/American Persimmon/Jove’s fruit is native to Eastern and Central North America. You will probably find it growing naturally in a wide range, from Texas to Kansas and from Florida to New England.
2. It is a dioecious plant with separate male and female parts growing in different trees, which basically means that you will need two of them if you want fruits to grow.
3. It is a deciduous tree whose leaves fall in the winter, but the fruits stay put, making them a beautiful addition to winter landscaping.
4. Homeowners grow the Persimmon Tree for virtually only two main reasons; fruits and ornamental value.
5. It grows in quite a wide range of temperatures, from hardiness zones 4a and all the way to zone 9b.
6. It is one species whose individual parts of a tree have distinct uses. The fruits came in handy for food and medicine (plus the bark) for natives and were used for fevers and diarrhea.
   Also, the hard black wood can be used to make billiard cues and golf club heads.

Persimmon Tree Symbolism

Are you a plant owner that likes to tie meaning to plants in your space? Others only love the aesthetic aspect of plants but don’t necessarily know the meaning behind them.

You are in luck if you are looking for a tree with an important symbol because the persimmon has several, and it all depends on which you choose to believe in.

The most common persimmon symbolisms are longevity and good fortune. It is known to be a symbol of success, especially at work, which maybe explains why you will find it in business places.

Apart from that, the persimmon is deservingly a symbol of longevity. This is probably due to the fact that it can grow for as much as 75 years and survive various conditions.

The fruits also grow radiant and numerous as soon as the plant is three, and the tree keeps producing them all through its lifetime. It is also famous for resisting whatever gets thrown its way, be it diseases, pests, or unpleasant conditions.

People keen on symbolism in plants would really relate to that and want to have the Persimmon Tree in their space.

Types of Persimmons

The best part about nature is the fact that there are countless types of trees, each with distinctive features that make each variety outstanding. The Persimmon Tree is no different because there are quite a number of individual beauties that belong to the Diospyros spp, each stunning in its own right.

Take a look at the most common types that you would love to have growing in your space.

Another thing to know about the American cultivar is that it is very soft when ripe, and the skin can get too thin, which explains why it is quite tricky to ship it. All the more reason why you should consider growing one of your own.

Lastly, note that it is astringent, which basically means that you have to wait for it to ripen before eating; otherwise, you won’t like the taste.

This type also comes in two variations, the Hachiya Persimmon Tree and the Fuyu Persimmon Tree; the difference, the former is non-astringent while the latter is. You can actually eat the Fuyu when unripe, the same thing you would do with an apple, or let it ripen to become more jelly-like.

Unlike the American persimmon, this tree is not as cold-hardy and often tends to grow smaller, not creating as big a shade in comparison. But still, it is an undeniably beautiful tree that will still serve its purpose, being an ornamental tree that provides tasty fruits which you should know are bigger than those of the American persimmon.

Persimmon Tree Identification: How To Identify Persimmon Tree

A Persimmon Tree is pretty hard to miss because it has some great and unique qualities. Anyone looking at it growing in your home can easily identify it, all thanks to its one-of-a-kind features.

The following are the aspects that would definitely give it away.

Persimmon Tree Leaves

Of course, a tree’s leaves are one of its most pronounced features, and the persimmon’s leaves are hard to miss. What you will be looking for are oblong, leathery/shiny leaves that are also brownish and paler underneath.

They measure 3-6 inches long and tend to be bluish-green on a normal summer’s day but then start changing color in the fall, preparing to drop in the winter. They take stunning yellow, red, and orange colors and will spruce up your home.

Persimmon Fruit

Probably the reason why you would want to plant the Persimmon Tree, and no other is because of its beautiful and tasty fruits. After maturing in fall, the round and colorful balls keep latching onto the tree until winter, as the rest of the plant has already gone into survival mode.

Most fruits are often 1.5-9 cm wide and can take various colors in the range of light yellow to dark reddish orange.

Persimmon Tree Flower

Not forgetting the flowers. Well, the fruits are not the plant’s only decorative feature because the fragrant blossoms are also worthwhile. It is fascinating that the tree is dioecious, not monoecious,¹⁰ having the male and female reproductive parts growing on different trees.

(Image: yibg¹⁸)

While the male flowers take a pink shade and grow in 3s, the females are white and grow as singles, and it is only in rare cases where the flowers are a combination of both parts, the case of ‘perfect’ flowers.

Persimmon Tree Bark

You can always single out the persimmon’s heavily fissured dark-colored bark. Imagine if you have a tree that is fully covered in briquettes of charcoal.

That is exactly what the tree’s bark looks like, with cracks virtually everywhere forming rectangular and square shapes. The lines run deep into the tree, but interestingly, the branches stay smooth.⁷

Persimmon Tree Seeds

Like any other fruiting tree, the persimmon also has seeds lying cozily on the inside of the fruit. When you take a ripe fruit and split it in half, along the length that is, it will reveal tiny, brown, dark seeds in the middle.

The seeds may not be the recommended way to go if you are planning to plant, but if you want to increase your chances of getting viable ones, you may want to go for freshly ripened fruits.

Persimmon Tree Growing Zone: Growing Zones for Persimmon Tree (Where To Grow)

Knowing the USDA hardiness zones and where your plant thrives is a vital piece of information because you want plant care to be effortless.

It doesn’t matter the type of plant in question because the prevailing temperature is a huge deal for them, regardless of how hardy they are. So what is the case of the persimmon? Where should you grow it?

According to experts, the Persimmon Tree will be happy if growing in USDA zones 4 all the way to 9. This should tell you that it will be safe within that wide range, and you shouldn’t worry if you live in its native region, where it is already familiar.

Your tree should be fine if you live around anywhere between Florida and Connecticut and Texas, due north to West Iowa. As earlier pointed out, the American persimmon is more cold and more hardy than the Japanese variety because it can survive when the winter temperatures dip to -25 degrees (F) compared to its cousin, which cannot go past the 0 mark.⁵

Planting Tips for Persimmon Tree

Planting a fruit tree for the first time? Worried the fruits will fail to show up or you will somehow ruin something?

(Image: Mikhail Kotykhov¹⁹)

Not to worry, because Persimmon Tree planting could be one of the simplest gardening tasks you have ever done. Here is how you plant it and bonus tips that you should know to grow a healthy and vibrant tree.

How To Grow a Persimmon Tree: Growing a Persimmon Tree From a Seed

Before learning how to grow persimmons from seed you should probably know that this may be the traditional method, but it is not the recommended one.¹¹

Go to any nursery, and you will see that they have saplings that you can replant because it is the fastest and most convenient; but still, it doesn’t mean that persimmon seeds will fail. So, what should you do?

1. Find viable seeds and clean them up, as many of them as possible. The best way is to collect them from fruits that you have just plucked from a tree because the seeds are infamous for losing their vitality the more time they spend out in the open.
2. Soak the seeds for 2-3 days and sow them in a planter with soil that is half perlite and the other half is potting mix. Make sure that the container is deep enough for the tap roots to dig inside.
   Next, bury the seeds about 2 inches deep, with at least 3 inches in between each seed.
3. You can leave the planter in the cold for some weeks to allow stratification to take place, although you can also stratify the seeds before sowing them by storing them in the fridge for up to three months. After stratification, the seeds should start germinating in 2-3 weeks.

Growing a Persimmon Tree From a Cutting

Why plant a Persimmon Tree from a cutting? There’s one main reason; it is the best way to clone the parent plant and get the exact same species with all the features that you admire in the parent.

So, how do you go about this? First, prepare the parent tree by watering it a day or two before you take the cutting. This ensures that what you get is a moist sample that will root properly.

Taking a knife or pair of shears, cut 5-6 inches of stem from the tree and chop the base an inch or two on both ends for faster water absorption and rooting.

Store it in a plastic bag for it to retain its water content, then plant it in your choice rooting medium, water it and cover with a plastic bag again and place it under a grow light. When the shoots start developing, the tree will be ready for transplanting in a 4-8 inch container filled with fertile soil.

Growing a Persimmon Tree From a Seedling

Beginners who admit not having a green thumb will always go for this method. Planting the Persimmon Tree from a seedling works best if you are often busy or are looking for the fastest way out.

Imagine skipping all of the steps from above and only burying the seedling in a hole of around the same size as the container you bought it in.

You can transplant it in a hole at least 4x the size of the container, and it should grow healthy and happy. There is not really much to do after that apart from the typical care and maintenance, where you water, fertilize and mulch the soil.

When To Plant Persimmon Tree for the Best Yield

If you are looking for nothing but the best yield, which means a tree that grows fast and bears several massive healthy fruits, it all starts with planting at the right time. The perfect time, in this case, as with any other fruit tree, is in spring or even fall.¹²

The goal is to avoid the extreme cold of winter. This means that you should maybe consider planting anywhere between December and June, but that is according to when our last frost date was.

How Far Apart To Plant Persimmon Tree?

The Persimmon Tree can develop quite massive roots, therefore, if you are considering planting several of them in your home, you may want to consider the spacing.

(Image: Mikhail Kotykhov²⁰)

To be safe, when growing them outdoors, you can go for a 10-foot distance between each, which should be enough for trees that grow small to medium-sized.⁶

It is not just about the roots touching but also the leaves and branches. 10 feet is the minimum width that a typical Persimmon Tree grows to, and you want to avoid overcrowding and cases where parts of the tree are not getting enough sunlight, discoloring, and dying in the process.

How To Prune a Persimmon Tree

Do you often get too busy or forget to prune your trees? Then you will appreciate the fact that the persimmon doesn’t need frequent trimming.

In fact, if it ever needs pruning, it will only be to keep it healthy, which is only once in a while, especially after maturity.

However, pruning should be a little more frequent when the plant is still growing for its branches to grow back stronger.

You should also make it a habit to chop off weak or diseased parts in order for the tree to focus on the healthier and stronger parts. But remember not to over-prune; otherwise, you will interfere with the next season’s harvest.

How Long It Takes To Grow Persimmon Tree: Persimmon Tree Growth Rate

You should know how long does it take for a tree to grow to have a time frame or a way of knowing whether you are on the right track or not. The good news, you actually don’t have to wait for a long time before you can see and harvest the fruits.

Imagine that the persimmon takes only 3-10 years before it can start showing massive and juicy fruits that you are obviously waiting patiently for.

However, this all depends on how the tree started. If you planted it from a seedling, it will grow and mature faster in comparison to planting from a seed or cutting.

Another disadvantage of planting seeds is that what you get may not always be the exact copy, a tree that is true to type, and there are also cases where the tree doesn’t fruit at all, so bear all that in mind during planting.¹

Best Growing Conditions for Persimmon Tree

Probably the best thing you could ever do for your Persimmon Tree or any other plant for that matter, is to provide everything that it needs. One thing you should know about the persimmon is that it is quite hardy and not as demanding as other fruit trees as long as you meet the following requirements.

How Much Sunlight Does Persimmon Tree Need Each Day?

Sunlight is important for all fruit trees. If you want your persimmon to thrive wherever you plant it, always make sure that you place it under full sunlight for at least six hours every single day.¹³

Can it get 8 hours daily? Even better, because who wouldn’t want massive fruits loaded with vitamins?

Watering Needs for Persimmon Tree Plants

If you have a well-grown persimmon, you don’t have to worry about watering daily; once or twice a week at most for a few minutes will do. But if the tree is still growing and at the sapling stages, you are safer watering thrice or more times a week, especially when it gets too dry.

What Is The Best Soil for a Persimmon Tree?

For the best yield, consider planting in fertile loamy soil with heavy organic matter and one that drains properly. The last thing you want is a tree with stunted growth or one that keeps getting root rot because the water keeps stagnating.

You can also check the plant’s Ph level because it should stay between 6.5 to 7.0.

Care and Maintenance of a Common Persimmon

One amazing thing about the Persimmon Tree is that it is effortless, maybe it will need a little TLC while at the sapling stage, but it gets pretty much independent when it matures.

(Image: Dan Keck²¹)

The goal is to give your tree the best care in its first few years so that it grows healthy enough to take care of itself in its later days.

Talking about care and maintenance basically refers to watering when the soil gets dry and pruning when the leaves and twigs start overcrowding and looking weak.

Maybe the only new thing that you should know about is overwintering. It is true that the persimmon is a resilient tree, but winter can be too brutal even for it to survive, and it will need some sort of protection at the time.

Here is where you come in. If you have planted your tree in a container, you will have to shelter it from the punishing weather by moving it back inside, at least until it is no longer in danger of frost. When the winter passes, you can easily take the plant back outside.

How To Harvest and Eat a Persimmon

You have been on a long journey and have been able to successfully plant your Persimmon Tree and actually watch it grow tall and bear fruits.

Now what? How do you know when are persimmons ripe? How do you go about persimmon picking or harvesting and eating them?

To begin with, you should know the type of fruit that you are expecting to harvest. For persimmon astringent, you will have to give them a little more time and only harvest when you are certain that they are 100% ripe, or else you will only end up with a tangy unpalatable fruit.

However, if you must harvest, ensure that you give them more time to at least ripen fully from your kitchen.

(Image: PublicDomainPictures²²)

And to hasten the process, you may want to place them together with bananas or apples for them to absorb the ethylene gas emitted.

On the other hand, if you are dealing with non-astringent varieties, you can eat them straight from the tree or give them a little more time to ripen, but they will still be tasty and juicy fruits either way.³

Lastly, what if you don’t know how to cut a persimmon? It is quite simple; just start by removing the top part with a sharp knife, then slice around the fruit’s circumference, splitting it in half.

Next, take out the seeds, then chop the parts into slices or cubes; however, you want. You can then store the fruits by drying,¹⁴ freezing, or making jam.

What Are the Companion Plants for Growing Persimmon Tree?

Persimmon Trees are no doubt quite stunning, from their leaves to their flowers and fruits, and there is no problem growing just them in your backyard.

But wait, what if there were a clever way to pair them with other trees that make them look even way better or actually have something to offer the plant?

There are plenty of trees that perfectly fit this description of plants that are beneficial to the Persimmon Tree. The best plants that your persimmons will thrive alongside include the golden oregano, Mexican sunflower, sweet potatoes, elderberry, sea buckthorn, and alliums (garlic and onion).

All these are safe for the persimmons, don’t cause unnecessary competition, and are actually quite beneficial.

For instance, the Mexican sunflower and elderberry are quite heavy attractors of pollinators who will definitely make a stop at your tree. On the other hand, the sea buckthorn is an excellent nitrogen fixer, while alliums do a great job at repelling pests.

Common Pests of the Persimmon Tree

Persimmon Trees are probably some of the hardest you will ever plant, but one thing remains constant, they are still vulnerable to certain pests that cannot resist their juicy sap and fruits.

As a plant parent, the following are the pests that you are supposed to watch out for.

1. Persimmon Borers: These pests are your arch nemesis as a persimmon owner; they are flat insects that solely target the barks and branches, laying larvae on the inside, which are also equally as dangerous. You can either manually remove them, use a blacklight to lure and expel them, or spray pyrethrin on the tree.
2. Fruit Flies: These flies cannot resist the juicy persimmons, and if you live in an area with a high population, you will have to find a way to prevent them from eyeing your tree. For one, you can cover the entire top with a net just soon after pollination.
3. Webworms: These pests will never go unnoticed, and they will confirm their presence by spinning webs around the tree. If you want to get rid of them, you will have to spray the tree with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
4. Mealybugs: You may know these tiny white bugs by now; all plant parents know their fluffy bodies when they see them because they look like small cotton balls. Such an infestation is best dealt with using organic methods.

Natural Pest Control for Persimmon Tree

There is nothing as disheartening as finding pests and other animals feasting on your persimmon. You will have to find a way to get rid of them either by using pesticides or other natural and organic methods.

One pest you are likely to run into is netting, where you have to cover your tree’s branches and leaves with a net to keep off insects and birds.

Scarecrows around gardens may also work to an extent. Another clever way to go is to make an all-natural insect repellent that seems to do the trick for many homeowners to keep their plants safe.

All you have to do is simply take water and mix it with dish soap, garlic, and neem oil/ vegetable oil.

The concoction has so far proven to be very effective when it comes to fishing out insects from their hiding places in burrows and stopping them from spreading, and you can try it as a cheaper and safer pesticide, that is in comparison to other chemicals.¹⁵

Common Persimmon Tree Diseases

Persimmons are quite resilient, often able to survive some of the harshest growing conditions, but still, one thing it has to deal with is disease attacks.

No matter how resilient the tree is, it is also vulnerable to fungal and bacterial diseases with varying degrees of seriousness, some more lethal than others. The most common ones that you should be on the lookout for include the following:

1. Crown Gall: This disease is one of the most famous, known for causing wart-like galls on the plant’s bark and branches, limiting growth and fruiting.²
2. Leaf Spot: Something else to worry about that usually doesn’t always look serious is the leaf spot. It starts as tiny dark markings or dots on the leaves that only later end up spreading to other parts unless you are fast enough to deal with it.
3. Anthracnose: Another very common persimmons’ disease is the anthracnose that you can easily spot when you see black spots on the leaves that sometimes look like sunken spots on the stems, fruits, and branches.
4. Skin russeting: Now one of the most hated Persimmon Tree diseases is this one, which manifests as rings on the fruits. There are various reasons for this, from excessive nitrogen to poor watering, but all in all, this disease is the arch enemy of astringent persimmons, and you should always watch out for any signs.

What Does a Persimmon Tree Look Like?

You cannot possibly miss a Persimmon Tree. Not especially given the radiant rounded fruits that come in yellow and orange shades.

(Image: YHBae²³)

Apart from that, it is easy to identify the tree by its glossy green leaves and bark that is deeply furrowed into square and rectangular deep fissures.

How Does a Persimmon Leaf Look Like?

The persimmon leaf is easy to detect with its shiny, dark green upper side and paler underside. The most fascinating feature about it is how much it changes in terms of color all through the year.

It starts off as yellowish green in summer and spring and then starts changing into reddish and orangey hues gradually as the seasons change until it eventually falls off the tree.

How To Stop Persimmon Tree Disease: Persimmon Tree Disease Prevention

Every plant parent will tell you that they dread the day that they find out that their plant, which they had to grow from scratch, is under attack by some lethal, unexplainable disease.

It is quite scary because some of these attaches are actually severe and could potentially mean the loss of the entire tree, together with its fruits.

You can imagine the amount of losses, especially in the case of large-scale farming. That is why you should find a way to stop Persimmon Tree diseases for good.

Note that the cure and prevention of a persimmon disease will always depend on the disease in question. There is not exactly a one-size-fits-all remedy, and you have to protect your plant based on what is happening already.

Take, for instance, crown gall, which currently doesn’t have a cure. The best thing that you can do in case it attacks your tree is to prevent further spreading.

You will have to chop off the affected parts and burn them before the infection gets the chance to spread further to neighboring trees. This is the same case with any other fungal infection that doesn’t have a cure.

Fungicides may also inhibit further spreading, but it can be tricky when dealing with a notorious infection that can even spread through air and water, so you would rather be safe than sorry.

Persimmons are not just any other fruit that you will find all year round at the supermarket. It is pretty valuable, not just because of its great taste but also because it is not grown everywhere in the country, and it is worse that it is not exactly the best fruit for shipping.

So imagine having one growing healthy right in your yard. You won’t have to wait for them to be in season anymore.

The best part is that planting it is not even as daunting as it may seem. It is quite a hardy tree that can survive whatever you throw at it. 

Whether you want to plant it for aesthetic reasons or a steady fruit supply, the Persimmon Tree never disappoints, and you will end up planting more of them once you see how rewarding it is. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Persimmon Tree