Persimmon (Hybrid), Nikitas Gift

Nikita’s Gift Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana × D. kaki ‘Nikitskaya Bordovaya’)

Nikita’s Gift is an American–Asian hybrid persimmon with reddish-orange fruit and rich flavor. It combines a smaller garden-tree habit with fruit that should be allowed to soften fully before eating.

Key Characteristics

A hybrid with a soft-ripe harvest

The fruit is astringent while firm and becomes sweet and tender as it ripens. Its pulp works fresh and in baked desserts.

A moderate-sized tree with fall color

Nikita’s Gift can be kept smaller through careful structural pruning. Orange-yellow foliage and colored fruit add a useful autumn display in an edible landscape.

Self-fruitful, with more hardiness than many Asian types

A separate pollen tree is not required for fruit set. Its hybrid background improves cold tolerance relative to many Asian persimmons, but young trees still benefit from a sheltered site.

Pollination Partners

Self-fruitful; no separate male or second cultivar is required. This is a fruit-bearing hybrid, not a guaranteed pollen source for other persimmons. Cross-pollination depends on overlapping bloom, not matching harvest months.

Rootstock and Mature Size

Plan for approximately 12–20 feet at maturity, depending on site and pruning. The offered variant identifies the rootstock; keep the graft union above soil level and remove rootstock suckers.

Product Details

• Sun: Full sun to light partial shade; full sun is best for fruiting.
• Soil: medium to medium-dry, well-drained soil; avoid standing water.
• Mature height: Approximately 12–20 feet; see rootstock and pruning guidance above.
• Bloom: Late spring; small cream to white flowers.
• Fruit: Reddish-orange fruit with rich, sweet pulp when fully soft; astringent while firm.
• Uses: Soft fresh fruit, pulp, pudding, quick breads, and preserves.
• Ripening: October–November
• Chill hours: A reliable cultivar-specific chill-hour requirement has not been confirmed.
• Pollination: Self-fruitful; no separate pollen tree required.
• USDA hardiness: Zones 5–9.

Planting and Care

Water the root ball before planting and set it at its original growing depth. Keep the graft union above soil level and remove shoots arising below it. Water through establishment, mulch clear of the trunk, and prune for structure rather than assuming the tree will remain a fixed compact size.