lyvia will attract deer.

June Will this grow in sandy loam of NE Texas?

docilana Gives me stomach aches

Jason Shepard Wow, I never, ever thought I would see someone actually recommending this horrible tree. We had two in our front yard while I was growing up. They make an AWFUL mess if you don't pick every piece of fruit before it drops. Once it's smashed on the sidewalk, it's not coming up, even with a powerwasher and it stains clothes badly. They were headaches from day one and I swore I'd either never own a home that had one or rip it out the day I moved in. I love a lot of plants, trees, and other biotic landscaping, but this definitely isn't one of them...Not for the person who wants low maintenance, anyway...

patricia beharry @docilana, Most people don't realize you have to wait till the fruit is soft, almost to spoiling, with spots on them, before you eat them. Or else it will make you sick. We have to teach foreigners when to eat a mango when they come down here. They eat them when they are not ripe enough.

catclawrose Persimmons make the most wonderful jam ! I make mine sugar-free, so a diabetic Husband can enjoy it, too ! The color is almost electric in the jars.

gmiller6 I've been in my house for 14 years and have the hachiya variety. The first few years I would wait until they ripen on the tree and that would cause a mess. Now I pick them before they ripen. My neighbors and friends love them so they make nice "gifts." I put them in the blender when they are ripe and freeze the pulp. They are good in smoothies, yogurt or I just use the pulp as a spread on toast. I have made pies and breads with them. The cookies are too soft for my taste.

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.

sgermeraad If you harvest fruit before it's soft, you can slice it and dry it in a dehydrator. The slices are beautiful (bright orange with the five-pointed "star" motif in the center) and really tasty. My favorite dried fruit next to pears.

gvfarm If you're a birdwatcher, they attract many; especially Cedar Waxwings in large flocks.

gmiller6 Hachiyas: You can also "freeze ripen" them. Once the unripe fruit is defrosted it often has ripened.

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?

Charmean Neithart Interiors, LLC. I love persimmons and yes, right now they are $2.69 each at my market. I buy a few every week during their season and just love them, they remind me of Christmas. I understand fruit trees can be messy. I would only plant this tree if I really loved the fruit, which I do. I really love winter fruit like persimmons, pomegranates, and figs. Thanks for the planting tips.

ariadne2095 The Japanese persimmon is ready to eat when it is jelly-like inside. The others can be eaten while still hard.

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.

Patrick L. Boyd-Loyd June - Its very adapted to NE Texas - we grow both the Fuyu and Hachiya varieties here.
Gorgeous fall color!
Plant Pomegranates as well for a bounty of fall fruit.

ladybay Persimmons are my favorite fruit. I like them crisp and crunchy. Once they have become soft there are many recipes which use persimmons - cakes etc. The trees are beautiful, the fall colors amazing.
Unripe mangoes make the most delicious rujak. This is a type of spicy fruit salad from Indonesia. What a treat.!!

ZH Design For those of us in colder climates and interested in native plants, there is an American or Common Persimmon, Diospyros virginiana. Its fruits are much smaller than its Japanese counterpart, though are equally as good. It's not as readily available in the trade but worth planting, especially if you are interested in fruting plants and have an eclectic orchard. They will indeed attract any and all type of wildlife so be aware of that. I'd certainly recommend siting this tree away from hard surfaces and traveled paths, where it can be enjoyed and respected from far away, especially when its leaves have dropped.

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.