C-100 Common Persimmon Diospyros virginiana 'C-100'
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Diospyros mosieri
- Diospyros virginiana var. mosieri
- Diospyros virginiana var. platycarpa
- Diospyros virginiana var. pubescens
- Diospyros virginiana var. virginiana
- Phonetic Spelling
- dee-oh-SPR-os vir-jin-ee-AY-uh
- Description
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Eastern Persimmon is a native tree that is cold hardy, slow-growing with a long taproot and long-lived. It tolerates a wide range of soil types and pHs preferring moist well-drained soils in full to part sun.
It is valued for its fruit and attraction to wildlife. Two trees are necessary for the production of fruit. The fruit is not edible until exposed to frost or consistent low temperatures. 10-year-old trees may produce fruit but optimum fruit-bearing age is 25-50 years.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Good disease and insect resistance. May get leaf spot.
VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:


- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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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
- 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.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Oval
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Medium
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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, 5b, 5a, 6b, 6a, 7b, 7a, 8a, 8b, 9b, 9a
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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.
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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.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant 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.
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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.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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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