PLANTprofile

American Persimmon

By Kathy Jentz

The American Persimmon Tree (Diospyros virginiana) is a small fruit tree that is native to most of the Eastern and Midwestern United States. It is also known as the Common Persimmon, Eastern Persimmon, Possum Apple, Possumwood, Winter Plum, Jove’s Fruit, or Native Persimmon. It grows best in moist, sandy soils, but is fairly adaptable. It can tolerate light shade. You will need a nearby male tree to have a fruiting female one, although native cultivars available now are bred to be self-fertile, including ‘Yates’, ‘Prok’, and ‘Meade’. This highly ornamental tree has oval leaves that are a glossy dark green. They turn golden yellow in the fall before dropping. The bark is dark gray and has an interesting texture that resembles alligator hide. The Persimmon Tree’s fruit becomes orange to reddish-purple when it is ripe. Do not consume it until it has matured fully; you’ll know when it is ripe because the fruits will fall to the ground. Those who try to eat the fruits before they are ready learn their lesson—the bitter and astringent tannins will pucker up the mouth in a very unpleasant way. The fruit is difficult to store and transport, so you will not commonly find it for sale. If you can gather enough, it can be used to make syrups, jellies, and puddings. Persimmons are also consumed by birds, deer, raccoon, opossum, and fox. The tree can be propagated from seeds or root cuttings. Due to its deep tap root, it is difficult to move or transplant once it is established. o

Kathy Jentz is the editor and founder of Washington Gardener.

American Persimmon Tree (Diospyros virginiana), Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC, USA. Photo by Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.