Growing Persimmon Trees: Tips at a Glance
Persimmons can be stringent (shaped like peppers, best for cooking) or non-astringent (shaped like tomatoes, delicious to eat raw). Trees live 75 years.
- Type Fruit tree
- Lifespan 50-75 years
- USDA Zones 4-11
- Light Full sun
- Soil Slightly acidic
- Location 25 feet apart
- Design Tip Dramatic allèe
- Other Uses Container plant
- Peak Season Autumn fruit
Persimmon Trees: A Field Guide
A persimmon tree has all the visual requirements of autumn: The leaves turn red before they drop off to reveal a web of black branches festooned with bright orange globes.
The name persimmon derives from the Native American (eastern Algonquian) word “putchamin,” meaning dried fruit. There are hundreds of varieties of two main types: astringent (shaped like a pepper) and non-astringent (shaped like a tomato). In the US, fruit from the common persimmon tree, Diospyros virginiana, is astringent, making it trickier to ripen and best for cooking. Fuyu persimmons (non-astringent) are best eaten fresh.