Meader Common Persimmon Diospyros virginiana 'Meader'
- Phonetic Spelling
- dee-oh-SPR-os vir-jin-ee-AY-uh
- Description
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As with its parent plant, the 'Meader' cultivar of the common persimmon is beautiful, delicious, and easy to grow, and offers year-round interest in the landscape. The common persimmon is in the Ebenaceae family native to the central and eastern United States and can reach 30 to 80 feet high and 20 to 35 feet wide depending on the cultivar. 'Meader' was bred by the late Elwin Meader of the University of New Hampshire to be self-pollinating. If the flowers are not pollinated, it will produce seedless fruit. If they are pollinated, the fruit will contain seeds.
'Meader' is a cold-hardy tree easily grown in full sun to part shade with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5, 'Meader' typically grows to 30’ tall and prefers moist, sandy soils but is tolerant of a variety of soils. It is drought tolerant once established.
It has superior ornamental qualities. Dark green foliage is attractive throughout the growing season before turning excellent shades of red and yellow in fall. The fruits, which begin to ripen in the fall, are apricot-sized to 2" in diameter and deep orange when ripe with a sweet flavor.
It can be grown as an ornamental or fruit tree in the home landscape, or in naturalized areas for wildlife. Thus, it can be placed in many types of gardens: a butterfly, children's, native, nighttime, pollinator, or rain garden. With spectacular autumn foliage and fruit that extends the harvest late into the fall, they are an excellent addition to an edible landscape. Fruit can stay on the tree after the leaves have fallen unaffected by freezing temperatures, giving an attractive addition to a winter garden. They do produce root suckers. Remove promptly unless a naturalized effect is wanted.
Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: Leaf spot may occur. Fruit drop can be messy.
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):
- The wood is extremely hard and has been used to make golf club heads, billiard cues and shoelaces.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Distribution:
- Central and Eastern US
- Fire Risk Rating:
- low flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- The fruit of the persimmon is a food source for birds, small mammals, white-tailed deer, foxes, raccoons, and black bears. Deer browse the leaves and twigs.
- Play Value:
- Edible fruit
- Fragrance
- Wildlife Food Source
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Resistant to fire in landscape. This tree is drought tolerant, tolerates occasionally dry soil and air polution. Wind resistant.
- Edibility:
- Persimmon leaves can be used to make teas. Fruits can be dried, eaten off the tree and used to make jelly, jam, pie and ice cream. The fruit is astringent when non-ripe.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 25 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 15 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Oval
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- 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
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12-24 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Orange
- 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:
- Medium to large-sized, showy deep orange fruit in the fall, usually will hang on the tree through into winter. Early ripening. Astringent unless overripe.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Cyme
- Insignificant
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Bell
- Tubular
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- fused petals
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- The tree is dioecious which male and female flower blooms on different trees from May to June. Fragrant, small, white to greenish-yellow flowers bloom in late spring, with the tubular male flowers appearing in 2 to 3 flower clusters and the female flower appearing solitary and bell or urn-shaped with 4 recurved petals. Blooms from May to June.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Orange
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Oblong
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are broadly oblong and pointed with smooth edges or some serration. They are 2 to 6 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide with an acuminate apex and rounded base. The lower surface is usually lighter-colored and may have hairs, especially on young leaves. The fall color is yellow to reddish-purple. Leaves have a broad mid-rib with dark veins on the underside.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Black
- Dark Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Furrowed
- Bark Plate Shape:
- Square
- Bark Description:
- It is one of the easiest trees to identify in winter because of its distinctive thick, dark grey bark that is divided by furrows into square blocks resembling a checkerboard, sometimes referred to as "alligator bark."
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gray/Silver
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Bud Scales:
- Enclosed in 2 scales
- Stem Form:
- Zig Zags
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Stems are pubescent. Buds are single, sessile, 2 overlapping scales, 1/4" long, dark reddish - almost black, no terminal bud. Branchlets slender, zigzag, at first light reddish-brown and pubescent. They vary in color from light brown to ashy gray.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Meadow
- Naturalized Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Children's Garden
- Edible Garden
- Nighttime Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Rain Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Flowering Tree
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Problems:
- Messy
