Diospyros kaki 'Jiro'

As with its parent plant, the 'Jiro' cultivar of the Oriental persimmon is beautiful, delicious and easy to grow, and offers year-round interest in the landscape. Oriental persimmons are native in Eastern Asia and India, they thrive in eastern North Carolina and the southern piedmont but do not tolerate temperatures below 10°F.  'Jiro' Persimmon is one of the most cold-hardy cultivars.  The tree is a vigorous producer of fruit that is sweet, mild, and non-astringent.

It sets fruit without pollination but planting two cultivars is recommended to ensure a better fruit-set. The trees grow best in loamy, well-drained soils with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5 in full sun but thrive on a wide range of soils. Oriental persimmons generally bloom mid-April so avoid damage from late frosts.

With spectacular autumn foliage and fruit that extends the harvest late into the fall, they are an excellent addition to an edible landscape.  Fruit stays on the tree after the leaves have fallen looking like Christmas ornaments, giving an attractive addition to a winter garden. Harvest the fruit when the skin becomes deep orange.  Fruit from this non-astringent variety can be eaten raw like an apple or sliced like a tomato and can be used in a variety of baked goods.  

The Oriental persimmon can be placed in a lawn or naturalized area, an Asian, winter or edible garden.  It can be trained as an espalier or pruned as a hedge or screen away from foot traffic or wet soil.  They have no serious insect or disease problems and they do not require annual pruning like some other deciduous fruit trees. However, they do produce root suckers.  Remove promptly unless a naturalized effect is wanted.

Quick ID Hints:

• Bark is deeply fissured or furrowed in shapes of rectangles or squares

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Scale, mealybug and leaf spot can occur. Fruit drop can be messy.

More information on Diospyros kaki.