Persimmon

American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)

American Persimmon is one of North America's finest native fruit trees, producing exceptionally sweet fruit that ripens after frost and has delighted people and wildlife for centuries. Naturally found along woodland edges, old fields, and river bottoms throughout the eastern United States, this adaptable tree combines edible harvests with remarkable ecological value. Its fragrant spring flowers, glossy foliage, brilliant fall color, and late-season fruit make it an outstanding choice for food forests, silvopasture systems, native orchards, and regenerative landscapes.

Key Characteristics

Unique native fruit with rich, honey-like sweetness
American Persimmons ripen to a deep orange when fully mature, developing a rich flavor often described as a blend of apricot, date, caramel, and honey. The fruit is highly nutritious and excellent for fresh eating once fully soft, as well as baking, puddings, breads, cookies, jams, syrups, ice cream, wine, and drying. Unripe fruit is highly astringent, but once fully ripe it becomes exceptionally sweet and custard-like.

An exceptional wildlife tree
Few native fruit trees rival American Persimmon for wildlife value. The fruit is eagerly consumed by White-tailed Deer, Raccoons, Opossums, Gray Foxes, Black Bears, Wild Turkeys, Northern Bobwhite, Cedar Waxwings, American Robins, and many other birds and mammals. The tree also serves as a larval host for the beautiful Luna Moth (Actias luna) and several Royal Walnut moths, making it an important contributor to healthy forest food webs.

A resilient tree for food forests and silvopasture
American Persimmon adapts to a wide range of soils, from upland woodlands to floodplain edges, and develops a deep taproot that provides excellent drought tolerance once established. It serves as a productive mid-canopy tree in food forests and integrates well into silvopasture systems, where its seasonal shade, fruit production, and wildlife benefits enhance regenerative agricultural landscapes.

Beautiful through every season
Small, fragrant flowers emerge in late spring, providing nectar for native bees and other beneficial insects. Glossy green summer foliage turns brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and reddish-purple in autumn before revealing branches often decorated with glowing orange fruit well into the dormant season. The distinctive dark, blocky bark adds winter character and visual interest.

Product Details

• Native range: Eastern and central North America
• Plant life cycle: Perennial tree
• Sun requirements: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil requirements: Dry to medium-wet
• Mature height: 35–60 feet
• Bloom time: May – June
• Bloom color: Creamy white to pale yellow
• USDA Hardiness zones: 4–9

American Persimmon performs best in full sun for maximum fruit production but tolerates partial shade. It adapts to a wide range of soils, including clay and periodically wet sites, though well-drained soils produce the most vigorous growth. Most seedling trees are either male or female, so planting both sexes—or selecting a self-fruitful cultivar—is recommended for reliable fruit production. Whether incorporated into a food forest, native orchard, wildlife planting, or silvopasture, American Persimmon offers generations of abundant harvests while supporting an extraordinary diversity of native wildlife.