Vol. 79 No. 2 (2025): Journal of the American Pomological Society

April 2025, Volume 79, Issue 2

Photo Credit: Alan Cressler, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Collection

About the photo: Flowers of Diospyros virginiana (Eastern persimmon). 

American persimmons are a woody, deciduous tree in the Ebenaceae family, native to the central and eastern United States. Persimmons are dioecious, meaning that a tree is designated as male or female, and fruit production requires one of each. While trees grown from seed can take as long as 10 years to produce fruit, grafted trees often produce fruit in 3 years. American persimmon trees are hardy and adaptable, thriving in a variety of soils and providing both food and habitat for wildlife such as deer, raccoons, and birds. Historically, Indigenous peoples and early settlers valued the fruit for its nutritional content and used it in breads, puddings, and preserves. Today, the American persimmon is used both as an edible fruit or ornamental tree, providing beautiful orange fruit after leaves have fallen.