Great Design Plant: Persimmon
Combining beautiful fruit, vivid fall leaves and low maintenance, this tree is a winner in the garden
Houzz Contributor. I grew up with a love for California's valleys, hills, and mountains -- and native plants. I've been a magazine editor/writer for my whole career, and was editor in chief of Sunset and Garden Design magazines.
Houzz Contributor. I grew up with a love for California's valleys, hills,... More »
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In late fall or early winter a leafless persimmon tree, branches bending under the weight of dozens (hundreds?) of gleaming orange fruits, looks like something out of an ancient Japanese brush painting. Before the fruit display, or along with it, also comes a beautiful display of bright orange fall foliage.
All in all, this is a handsome medium-size, deciduous tree perfectly suited to California's and other mild climates (there's also a hardier persimmon native to the eastern U.S., Diospyros kaki). Compared with most fruit trees, Japanese persimmon needs little care — no complex pruning or spraying required.
All in all, this is a handsome medium-size, deciduous tree perfectly suited to California's and other mild climates (there's also a hardier persimmon native to the eastern U.S., Diospyros kaki). Compared with most fruit trees, Japanese persimmon needs little care — no complex pruning or spraying required.
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| Botanical name: Diospyros kaki Common name: Japanese persimmon USDA zones: 7 to 10 (find your zone) Water requirement: Moderate Sun requirement: Full sun Mature size: 30 feet tall and wide Benefits and tolerances: No particular pests or diseases; birds or squirrels may steal fruit. |
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Distinguishing traits. Even without fruit production, the vivid orange fall foliage would be reason enough to grow this lovely deciduous tree.
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'Hachiya' is the most widely grown variety. Its fruit is large and recognizably pointed at the tip. Not everyone likes eating it — the common gripe is "the texture." And the fruit is puckeringly astringent unless fully soft and ripe; let it ripen on the tree or bring it indoors when deep orange and it will ripen. Eat it fresh (some people pour cream on it) or bake with it; the most popular version is an English-style Christmas pudding. Don't forget the hard sauce.
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'Fuyu' looks different: flat bottomed like a tomato. More distinctively, it is nonastringent and can be eaten before it turns soft. Eat it like an apple or slice it for salads.
How to use a persimmon tree. It is shapely enough to stand alone as a garden’s focal point, in a border or on a lawn. In time it can make a decent shade tree. In a big garden, several trees can form a row in the background.
Before you plant. Ask what you're going to do with an abundance of fruit. Don’t plant a tree where you don’t want the fruit to fall. If you don’t want the fruit, you can probably give it away — or have the kids set up a lemonade-style stand.
How to use a persimmon tree. It is shapely enough to stand alone as a garden’s focal point, in a border or on a lawn. In time it can make a decent shade tree. In a big garden, several trees can form a row in the background.
Before you plant. Ask what you're going to do with an abundance of fruit. Don’t plant a tree where you don’t want the fruit to fall. If you don’t want the fruit, you can probably give it away — or have the kids set up a lemonade-style stand.
Ideabook published on Dec. 7, 2012.
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I prune it every year. Fruit comes out on new growth. The fruit gets so heavy that entire branches have snapped. If the tree is high it's difficult to pick the fruit at the top of the tree.
I forgot to mention in my last post that of the 14 years I have been in my house there was only one year so far that I didn't get any fruit. That was after a hard prune. But I've done the same in other years with very bountiful crops. My tree must be very old. It actually had termites in it when I bought my 1936 house near Pasadena, CA.
I've also seen the fruit in the markets for up to $3 per persimmon. This year I think I saw it for under $1.
Does anyone else have experience with pruning and barren years?
I agree they make a huge mess when the fruit drops, my they are beautiful trees with great structure and color. I didn't mind the clean up, but found that I had to beat my dog to the punch! That dog ate every piece of dropped fruit, no matter how ripe, then proceeded to nab everything off the tree.
Gorgeous fall color!
Plant Pomegranates as well for a bounty of fall fruit.
Unripe mangoes make the most delicious rujak. This is a type of spicy fruit salad from Indonesia. What a treat.!!
Docilana, I have heard this on more than one occassion, especially if they have been eaten before complete ripeness. The American persimmon needs a full frost to occur prior to the fruits ripening, which concurs with freezing the fruits to help the ripening process. Michael Dirr notes a scientific journal article in one of his books as the fruits causing intestinal obstruction if eaten in large quantity for humans and also has been known to kill horses.