Persimmon Tree

American persimmon is the native fruit tree almost nobody plants and everybody should consider. Diospyros virginiana reaches 35 to 60 feet tall and 20 to 35 feet wide, hardy from Zone 4 through Zone 9 in full sun to part shade, and it takes several years to begin fruiting. This is a long-term planting rather than a quick return.

The fruit ripens in fall, orange and about the size of a golf ball, with a flavor closer to date and honey than to anything else. Timing matters more than with any other fruit: eaten before it is fully soft it is famously astringent, and eaten ripe it is one of the best fruits that grows in North America. Wait until it drops.

The bark is worth the tree on its own. Dark gray and broken into thick square blocks, it reads like alligator hide and gives the trunk real winter character. Fall foliage turns yellow through orange to purple.

Persimmons are usually male or female on separate trees, so a female needs a male nearby to fruit. It is the host plant for the luna moth and the hickory horned devil. Persimmon puts down a deep taproot, which makes it drought tolerant once established and difficult to transplant later, so choose the position with care. It tolerates poor soil and clay, and deer will browse young trees.