Food of the Gods: Persimmon Tree Facts

The fruit of trees belonging to a genus named “diospyros” — ancient Greek for “food of the gods” — must be something special. And the succulent fruit of persimmon trees (Diospyros spp.) is just that. Ripe persimmons are sweet, juicy and loaded with healthy nutrients, including the beta-carotene responsible for their vivid color. We explore some facts about the trees that grow them.

persimmon-tree-facts

Oriental Persimmon Trees

  • Oriental persimmon trees (Diospyros kaki) have been cultivated in Japan and Korea since the 8th century and in China for thousands of years before that.
  • Growers have hybridized more than 2 thousand Oriental persimmon cultivars.
  • The first Oriental persimmon trees arrived in California in 1870s. New varieties were imported over the next 50 years.
  • Today, all commercial U.S. persimmons grow on 3 thousand acres in the San Joaquin Valley (USDA plant hardiness zones 8 through 10).
  • Brazil and Italy are also major producers of Oriental persimmons. Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Chile and Egypt are minor ones.
  • Only two Oriental persimmons, ‘Hiyachi’ and ‘Fuyu,’ account for the persimmons marketed in the United States.
  • ‘Hiyachi’ produces tomato-red, acorn-shaped fruit that’s sweet only when extremely ripe.
  • ‘Fuyu’ has squat, round, pumpkin-colored fruit sweet enough to eat while still crisp and firm. Its taste hints of dates and pears with a touch of cinnamon.
Botanical illustration showing American, Fuyu, and Hachiya persimmon fruits with their growing zones and flavor profiles
Compare the most popular persimmon varieties to find the right fit for your garden.

American Persimmon Trees

  • American persimmon trees (Diospyros virginiana) grow wild across the eastern United States from New England to Kansas and Texas and south to Florida (USDA zones 4 through 9).
  • Native Americans cultivated the trees for centuries, using the fruit in pudding, cornbread and gruel.
  • American persimmon fruit falls to the ground when ripe. If you have to pull it from the tree, it’s too astringent to eat.
  • The ripe fruit is round, bright orange and up to 2 inches in diameter.
  • Deer find the ripe fruit’s jellylike texture and amaretto flavor irresistible.
  • Because the fruit is too soft for long-distance shipping, American persimmon trees aren’t commercialized. Japanese cultivars, however, are grafted onto their rootstocks.

More than Just Fruit Trees

As alternate-bearing trees, persimmons usually follow an abundantly fruiting season with a sparsely fruiting one. Their other features, however, make the “lean” years much easier to accept:

Illustration of a mature persimmon tree highlighting its summer canopy, autumn foliage, winter bark, and ebony heartwood
Persimmon trees offer stunning visual interest throughout all four seasons.
  • Persimmons’ drooping branches of glossy, deep-green summer leaves give them a faintly tropical appearance.
  • The leaves change to striking shades of yellow, orange or crimson in fall, just as their pumpkin-hued fruit ripens.
  • Dried Oriental persimmon leaves make a tea rich in Vitamin C, magnesium, and digestion-aiding tannins.
  • Even in winter, all persimmons enhance their surroundings with deeply furrowed, black bark resembling alligator skin.

Finally, as members of the Ebony (Ebenaceae) family, persimmon trees have fine-grained, black heartwood strong enough for use in golf clubs, pool cues, drumsticks and even flooring.

Text: Morgan Shokley

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