Winter Plum Diospyros virginiana
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- dy-OS-pe-res ver-jin-ee-AY-nah
- Description
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American persimmon is a woody, deciduous tree in the Ebenaceae (ebony) family. It is native to the central and eastern United States and can reach 30 to 80 feet high and 20 to 35 feet wide. The name persimmon comes from 'putchamin', a phonetic rendering of the name used by the Algonquin tribe of the American Indians.
Persimmons are dioecious, meaning there are separate male and female trees, and you need both in order to get fruit. The persimmon flowers in spring to early summer and produces fruits in the fall. The fruits are very sweet when ripe and are a food source for many birds and mammals. The fruit has a distinctive beak at the base of the fruit. Persimmon grows best in moist, well-drained, sandy soils in full sun to partial shade. It will tolerate hot, dry conditions, poor soils, urban conditions, and wind. Under poor conditions, the tree may maintain a 15-foot shrub-like appearance. The tree can be propagated by grafting, root cutting, or seed, but a deep taproot makes it difficult to transplant. American persimmons will not bear fruit right away. Trees propagated from seeds begin producing fruit in 4-9 years. Grafted trees need 3 years. It may take as many as 10 years for trees to come into full production.
Branches do not contain terminal buds. A new leaf forms where a terminal bud usually appears. That is because this tree never goes fully dormant. Another distinctive characteristic of this tree is its bark. It has a thick, dark gray bark that is divided by furrows into square blocks resembling a checkerboard, sometimes called “alligator bark.” Fall leaf color ranges from yellow to orange to bright red.
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.
Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: Leaf spot may occur. Fruit drop can be messy.
VIDEO Created by Laura Barth for "Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Nuts," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Woodland Backyard Garden Walk
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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'C-100'
- Var. mosieri
Florida variety - Var. platycarpa
Oklahoma variety - Var. pubescens
Fuzzy fruits
Nice red fall color 'Killen'
Medium-sized fruit ‘Meader’
Apricot-sized fruit and deep orange 'Morris Burton'
Considered one of the best native persimmons 'Prok'
Best tasting American persimmons - Var. mosieri
- 'C-100', 'Killen', ‘Meader’, 'Morris Burton', 'Prok', Var. mosieri, Var. platycarpa, Var. pubescens
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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'C-100'
- Var. mosieri
Florida variety - Var. platycarpa
Oklahoma variety - Var. pubescens
Fuzzy fruits
Nice red fall color 'Killen'
Medium-sized fruit ‘Meader’
Apricot-sized fruit and deep orange 'Morris Burton'
Considered one of the best native persimmons 'Prok'
Best tasting American persimmons - Var. mosieri
- 'C-100', 'Killen', ‘Meader’, 'Morris Burton', 'Prok', Var. mosieri, Var. platycarpa, Var. pubescens
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Diospyros
- Species:
- virginiana
- Family:
- Ebenaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- The inner bark and unripe fruit has been used in the treatment of fevers, diarrhea, and hemorrhage, indelible ink made from fruit, flowers used for honey. The fruit was used for food and medicinal purposes by Native Americans. The heartwood is nearly black, extremely hard and is used to make golf club heads, billiard cues and shoe lasts.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Grafting
- Root Cutting
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Central and eastern North America
- Distribution:
- New England to Florida, west to Texas and Kansas.
- Fire Risk Rating:
- low flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- A larval host plant of the Luna moth and Hickory Horndevil (Citheronia regalis) larvae which have one brood and appear from May to mid-September. Adult Hickory Horndevil moths do not feed. 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 moderately deer resistant.
- Edibility:
- The fruit is astringent when green, but sweet when soft and ripe and may be eaten raw. Used in syrups, jellies, ice cream and pies.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 30 ft. 0 in. - 80 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 20 ft. 0 in. - 35 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Columnar
- Oval
- Pyramidal
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Low
- 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
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 24-60 feet
- more than 60 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:
- 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:
- Edible, yellowish to orange fruit on female trees in fall. Globular berry, 1 to 1 ½ inch long, yellowish/peach/pale orange with a waxy bloom. Astringent unless overripe. Displays from September to December.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Orange
- 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:
- Persimmons are usually dioecious (separate male and female trees), but some trees have perfect flowers. 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:
- Gold/Yellow
- 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:
- 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
- Recreational Play Area
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Children's Garden
- Edible Garden
- Native Garden
- Nighttime Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Rain Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Flowering Tree
- Specimen
- Street Tree
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Moths
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Specialized Bees
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Poor Soil
- Storm damage
- Wind
