Persimmon, Bare Root

American Persimmon Seedlings (Diospyros virginiana)

Seed-grown American persimmons for wildlife groves and long-term food forests. They offer a lower-cost way to establish a population, with variation in fruiting, sex, and eventual tree form.

Key Characteristics

Wait for soft fruit

Harvest fruit when fully ripe and yielding, rather than assuming frost makes firm fruit edible. Soft pulp is useful in baking and preserves after seeds are removed.

Leaves feed large moths

Luna moth and hickory horned devil larvae use persimmon foliage. Raccoons, foxes, and other wildlife also take the fall fruit.

Male and female seedlings

These are unsexed seedlings, not guaranteed fruiting females. Plant several so a future grove has a better chance of both fruit-bearing trees and compatible pollen.

Seedlings versus named selections

Choose seedlings for population diversity and wildlife planting. For a selected fruiting clone, compare the 2027 Meader and Prok listings; seedlings will not duplicate those cultivars.

Product Details

• Plant type: Deciduous perennial tree or large shrub
• Native range: Central and eastern North America
• Sun: Full Sun; Part Sun/Shade
• Soil moisture: Medium; Medium-Dry
• Mature height: 30–80 feet
• Bloom: May–June; Cream, White, Yellow
• Fruit: Small orange fruit with very sweet soft pulp when fully ripe; firm fruit is strongly astringent.
• Harvest: September–November
• Pollination: Unsexed seedlings; plant several for a better chance of male pollen sources and fruiting females. Sex and individual fruiting are not guaranteed.
• Hardiness: USDA zones 4–9
• Stock: Seed-grown bare root plants; choose the seedling size.

Planting and Ongoing Care

Plant promptly and keep bare roots from drying out. Water the root zone, mulch clear of the stems, and protect seedlings from mowing damage and browsing. Base fertilizer on a soil test rather than feeding automatically; if needed, our Tree Planting Kit fertilizer blend should be used according to its label.

Protect young trunks and maintain a weed-free planting area. Established trees often need modest intervention; inspect leaf spots and dieback before treating, and allow some caterpillar feeding. Avoid insecticides on open flowers.

Interested in permaculture and stacking functions? Our fruit-tree guild guide explains how to combine planting layers and roles around fruit trees.