Persimmon, Common |
| General |
| Common Name | Persimmon, Common |
| Latin Name | Diospyros virginiana, D. kaki Linn |
| Category | Fruits |
| Family | |
| Variety | Garretson, John Rick, Early Golden, Hicks and Juhl |
| Visual Traits |
| Flower | greenish yellow; generally dioecious; late spring to early summer |
| No Citation Available |
| Foliage/Fall leaf color | reddish purple |
| No Citation Available |
| Fruit | berry, globose; astringent when green; yellow to deep orange or black when ripe; mid to late fall; frost damage to immature fruit |
| No Citation Available |
| Height | 30-60 ft |
| No Citation Available |
| Other valued traits | attractive bark and foliage |
| No Citation Available |
| Cultivation |
| Field spacing / planting depth | nursery stock spaced 6" apart |
| No Citation Available |
| Grafting | chip bud, cleft, whip |
| No Citation Available |
| Hardwood Cuttings | cut 6-8" long and 1/4" diameter; seal with pitch or wax to prevent rot; bury in sand until ready to plant |
| No Citation Available |
| Pollination | plant multiple trees to ensure pollination |
| No Citation Available |
| Propagation method | seed, root cuttings, grafting |
| No Citation Available |
| Pruning | train to 4-5 main stems when young; suited to espalier training |
| No Citation Available |
| Seed treatment and storage | clean and dry 2days; cold stratification 2-3months at 30-40 degrees F; no extreme hot or cold |
| No Citation Available |
| Seedling treatment | taproot develops to 8" (20cm) after 1 season |
| No Citation Available |
| Sowing seed | soak 2days prior to planting; sow spring or fall; depth 1/2"; cover with humus |
| No Citation Available |
| Transplant | difficult; ball and burlap in early spring; transplant nursery stock after 1-2 years in moist soil (due to long root); suckers do not transplant readily |
| No Citation Available |
| Watering guidelines | water deeply in dry conditions |
| No Citation Available |
| Critters |
| Insect and invertebrate pests | none serious |
| No Citation Available |
| Pathogens | none serious |
| No Citation Available |
| Soils |
| Fertility / quality | moderate fertility; tolerates poor fertility |
| No Citation Available |
| Minerals | excessive nitrogen may cause fruit drop |
| No Citation Available |
| Moisture and drainage | well drained; drought tolerant; moderately flood tolerant, although flooding kills young trees |
| No Citation Available |
| pH | 5.0-7.0 |
| No Citation Available |
| Texture | tolerant of wide range of soils |
| No Citation Available |
| Growth Pattern |
| Fruit bearing age / full crop load | 10y / 25-50y |
| No Citation Available |
| Good seed crop interval (fruit load) | every 2y |
| No Citation Available |
| Growth rate | slow |
| No Citation Available |
| Longevity | long |
| No Citation Available |
| Root habit | long taproot |
| No Citation Available |
| Habitat and Climate |
| Exposure | plant in protected areas in cooler climates |
| No Citation Available |
| Fire tolerance | tolerant; stump sprouts |
| No Citation Available |
| Frost-free days (FFD) | 150 |
| No Citation Available |
| Hardiness Zone | Zones 4-9 |
| No Citation Available |
| Native Range | Eastern US |
| No Citation Available |
| Rainfall / humidity | 30-60"; prefers humid climate |
| No Citation Available |
| Light |
| Light recommendation | full sun |
| No Citation Available |
| Shade tolerance | very tolerant |
| No Citation Available |
| Special Notes |
| Note 1 | too stressed in rural NY |
| No Citation Available |
| Note 2 | choose early-ripening cultivars in cooler regions |
| No Citation Available |
| Note 3 | American types hardier than Asian types |
| No Citation Available |