Persimmon Tree

A beautiful ornamental and fruiting tree producing bright orange autumn fruits with rich, honey-like sweetness when fully ripe. Choose between astringent varieties that must soften completely before eating and non-astringent types that can be eaten firm like an apple. Persimmon trees require minimal pruning and are relatively pest-free, making them an excellent low-maintenance fruit tree choice. They develop a deep taproot and resent transplanting, so choose the planting site carefully.

Asian persimmons are typically grafted onto American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) rootstock, which provides cold hardiness and soil adaptability. Purchase grafted trees from nurseries for reliable fruit quality. Persimmon seeds can be cold-stratified for 90 days and grown, but seedlings are slow to bear (5 to 7 years) and may produce inferior fruit. Handle nursery trees carefully, as the taproot is brittle and easily damaged during transplanting.

The Season Plate

Your Persimmon Tree Year

Composed for Zone 7 · typical seasons · frost passes Apr 2, returns Nov 1

Sow Persimmon Tree Mar – Apr, pick Oct – Nov. Set your climate below and every date on this plate re-times itself.

Sowing window

Mar – Apr

re-timed to your frost dates

Plant out

after Apr 2

once frost risk has passed

First picking

around Mar 14

≈ 1460 days from sowing · 3 to per plant

Composed for —ColdTemperateMildWarmUse my locationUsed once to set your season · only the zone is kept

Week-by-week Persimmon Tree reminders watering, feeding and pruning, timed to your dates

In the app

Frost alerts for your garden a warning before a cold night costs you the crop

In the app

Succession sowing dates so the picking never gaps mid-season

In the app

Prefer email? Get monthly reminders in the Almanac

Keep my dates — free for 7 daysWe nudge you as each window opens · cancel anytime

Choose the permanent planting site carefully, as persimmon trees develop a deep taproot and strongly resist transplanting once established. A location with full sun and well-drained soil is ideal, though persimmons tolerate a wider range of conditions than most fruit trees. They can grow in both acidic and slightly alkaline soils. Space trees 20 to 25 feet apart for adequate canopy development.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped persimmon trees in spring after the last frost. Handle the root ball gently, as the taproot is fragile and easily damaged. Water deeply at planting and apply a generous mulch layer. Keep newly planted trees consistently watered for the first two growing seasons while the root system establishes. Persimmons are drought-tolerant once mature but produce better fruit with regular moisture.

Persimmon trees require minimal pruning compared to other fruit trees. Prune only to remove dead wood, crossing branches, and to shape the tree in the first few years. Established trees need little attention beyond occasional thinning of crowded branches. If growing astringent varieties, allow fruit to soften fully on the tree or after harvest before eating to avoid the intensely astringent mouth-puckering experience of unripe fruit.

Persimmon trees create moderate shade that supports understory plantings of comfrey, hostas, and shade-tolerant herbs. Marigolds and borage planted nearby attract pollinators. Clover or other nitrogen-fixing cover crops improve soil around persimmon trees without over-feeding them. Avoid planting aggressive ground covers that could compete with the establishing root system. Daffodils naturalize well beneath mature persimmon trees.

The Society Table

Marigold belongs beside it. Walnut Tree doesn't.

Old growers' knowledge, checked against Persimmon Tree's real companion table below — test any plant you're growing.

Grows well in the company of · 1

Marigold

Keep apart · 1

Walnut Tree

Plant Persimmon Tree with good neighboursThe planner flags conflicts before they're in the ground

Related growing guides

Flowers

Marigold

A good companion for Persimmon Tree

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Apple Tree

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Pear Tree

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Trees

Cherry Tree

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Persimmon trees are remarkably adaptable to soil conditions, growing in clay, loam, or sandy soil with a pH range of 5.5 to 7.5. They tolerate poor soil better than most fruit trees. Apply a balanced fertilizer sparingly in early spring; over-fertilization causes fruit drop and excessive vegetative growth. Persimmons have a low nitrogen requirement. A light annual application of compost around the drip line is often sufficient for established trees.

Ideal Temperature

Hardiness Zone Compatibility

Non-astringent persimmons like Fuyu can be harvested when fully colored and eaten firm like an apple. Astringent varieties like Hachiya must be left on the tree until completely soft and translucent, or harvested firm and ripened indoors until the flesh becomes jelly-like. Cut fruit from the tree with pruning shears, leaving the calyx attached. Some growers wait until after the first frost, which enhances sweetness in astringent types.

Storage & Preservation

Firm non-astringent persimmons keep for 2 to 3 weeks refrigerated. Soft astringent persimmons are best used immediately or frozen as pulp for baking. Dried persimmon slices, called hoshigaki in Japanese tradition, are a delicacy made by hanging peeled fruit in a cool, airy location for several weeks. Persimmon pulp freezes well for use in puddings, breads, and cookies throughout the year. The fruit can also be made into jams and fruit leather.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Premature fruit drop is the most common complaint, usually caused by inconsistent watering, over-fertilization, or inadequate pollination. Some fruit drop in early summer is normal. Eating astringent varieties before they are fully soft creates an extremely unpleasant mouth-puckering sensation due to tannins. Sunscald on branches can occur in exposed sites. The deep taproot makes transplanting established trees nearly impossible.

Growing Tips

1. Plant persimmon trees in a location with full sun exposure of at least 6 to 8 hours daily and protection from strong winds, which can damage brittle branches and knock off developing fruit.
2. Persimmon trees develop a deep taproot and strongly dislike being transplanted once established, so choose a permanent planting location carefully from the start.
3. Use well-draining loamy soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.5 for best results. Persimmons are more tolerant of heavy clay soils than most fruit trees but will not survive in waterlogged conditions.
4. Water young trees deeply once or twice per week during the growing season. Established trees are moderately drought-tolerant but produce the best fruit with consistent moisture during summer.
5. Apply a balanced fertilizer like 10-10-10 in early spring as buds begin to swell. Avoid excessive nitrogen which promotes vegetative growth at the expense of fruit production.
6. Prune to an open-center or modified central leader shape during winter dormancy. Remove crossing branches, water sprouts, and dead wood to improve light penetration and air circulation.
7. Thin fruit clusters in early summer to one or two fruits per cluster. This prevents branch breakage from excessive weight and results in larger, higher-quality persimmons.
8. Protect ripening fruit from birds and squirrels with netting or paper bags placed over individual fruit clusters starting in early autumn.
9. If growing astringent varieties like Hachiya, allow fruits to ripen fully on the tree until very soft, or harvest when colored and freeze overnight to remove the astringent tannins.
10. Mulch generously around the tree with 8 to 10 centimeters of organic mulch such as wood chips or straw, keeping it 15 centimeters away from the trunk to prevent crown rot.