C-100 Common Persimmon Diospyros virginiana 'C-100'

• Attributes:

  Genus:

  Diospyros

  Species:

  virginiana

  Family:

  Ebenaceae

  Uses (Ethnobotany):

  American Indians made persimmon bread and stored the dried fruit like prunes.

  Life Cycle:

  Woody

  Recommended Propagation Strategy:

  Root Cutting

  Seed

  Country Or Region Of Origin:

  Central and E. U.S.A., NC

  Distribution:

  AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , MO , MS , NC , NE , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , SC , TN , TX , UT , VA , WV

  Wildlife Value:

  Bees pollinate the flowers. The fruit is eaten by squirrel, fox, skunk, deer, bear, coyote, raccoon, opossum, and various birds, including quail, wild turkey, cedar waxwing, and catbird.

  Play Value:

  Wildlife Food Source

  Edibility:

  Persimmons are consumed fresh and are used to make puddings, cakes, and beverages.

  Dimensions:

  Height: 30 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in.

  Width: 15 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.

• Whole Plant Traits:

  Plant Type:

  Edible

  Native Plant

  Tree

  Leaf Characteristics:

  Deciduous

  Habit/Form:

  Oval

  Rounded

  Growth Rate:

  Slow

  Maintenance:

  Medium

• Cultural Conditions:

  Light:

  Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)

  Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

  Soil Texture:

  Clay

  High Organic Matter

  Loam (Silt)

  Sand

  Shallow Rocky

  Soil pH:

  Acid (<6.0)

  Neutral (6.0-8.0)

  Soil Drainage:

  Good Drainage

  Moist

  Available Space To Plant:

  24-60 feet

  NC Region:

  Coastal

  Mountains

  Piedmont

  Usda Plant Hardiness Zone:

  4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b

• Fruit:

  Fruit Color:

  Gold/Yellow

  Orange

  Red/Burgundy

  Fruit Value To Gardener:

  Edible

  Display/Harvest Time:

  Fall

  Winter

  Fruit Type:

  Berry

  Fruit Length:

  1-3 inches

  Fruit Width:

  1-3 inches

  Fruit Description:

  The fruit is 1-2 inch wide, greenish to yellowish with a highly astringent pulp before ripening. Then turns yellowish-orange to reddish-orange and sweet in the fall. Each fruit with 1-8 flat seeds. Needs frost or a succession of cold days to ripen.

• Flowers:

  Flower Color:

  Cream/Tan

  Gold/Yellow

  Flower Inflorescence:

  Insignificant

  Flower Bloom Time:

  Spring

  Flower Shape:

  Urn

  Flower Description:

  The tree is dioecious which male and female flower blooms on different trees. The flower is cream to yellow in color, fragrant and not showy appearing in spring. Male flowers are in clusters and females appear singly.

• Leaves:

  Leaf Characteristics:

  Deciduous

  Leaf Color:

  Green

  Leaf Feel:

  Glossy

  Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:

  Gold/Yellow

  Red/Burgundy

  Leaf Type:

  Simple

  Leaf Arrangement:

  Alternate

  Leaf Shape:

  Elliptical

  Ovate

  Leaf Margin:

  Entire

  Serrate

  Hairs Present:

  No

  Leaf Length:

  3-6 inches

  Leaf Description:

  Leaves are simple, alternate, ovate to elliptic or oblong with smooth edges or some serration. They are 2-6 inches long and 3/4-2 inches wide with an acuminate apex and rounded base. The lower surface usually lighter-colored and may have hairs, especially on young leaves. Stems are pubescent. The fall color is yellow or red.

• Bark:

  Bark Color:

  Black

  Dark Gray

  Bark Description:

  The bark is thick and dark-gray to almost black and broken into scaly, squarish blocks on mature trees.

• Stem:

  Stem Is Aromatic:

  No

• Landscape:

  Landscape Location:

  Naturalized Area

  Slope/Bank

  Woodland

  Landscape Theme:

  Edible Garden

  Pollinator Garden

  Winter Garden

  Attracts:

  Bees

  Songbirds

  Resistance To Challenges:

  Black Walnut

  Diseases

  Drought

  Insect Pests

  Pollution

  Poor Soil

  Urban Conditions