Common Persimmon
 

Mature Size, Growth, Longevity

Gets 35-60' tall & 20-40' wide, occasionally 80-90' tall. Suckers & forms large colonies if allowed to do so over the years, in the wild. Individual trees form a slender, oval-rounded crown. Slow to medium growth rate, but actually grows fast in parts of the S.E. United States. Relatively short-lived for a tree, but usually does live 75-100 years.

Native Range

Kentucky Native — Native to the entire southeastern quarter of the United States. Found throughout Kentucky, and from Connecticut to Florida, west to Kansas and Texas.

Flower and Fruit Details

Flowers are usually dioecious, fragrant, white, yellowish or greenish-white, May-June. Male flowers are 1/3" long, in 3's. Female flowers are 3/5" long. Fruits are round, 1-1.5", yellowish to pale-orange berries, ripening after frost in September/October, lasting into November. The berry is edible, but astringent if not fully ripe. Eat very few fruits at one time to avoid intestinal problems in humans.

Leaf and Bark Features

Deciduous: Leaves are simple, alternate, mostly entire around margin, ovate or elliptic, 2-5" long and 1-2" wide, shiny and dark green on top, pale green beneath, with limited pubescence on the midrib. Petiole is hairy, 1/3-1" long. Yellow-green, yellow, or reddish-purple fall foliage color. Notable Bark: Bark is thick, dark brownish-grey to almost black on older trees, prominently broken to scaly, squarish blocks; handsome and easily recognizable. Dark, orangish fissures form between the blocks.

Culture and Care

Prefers moist, well-drained, sandy soils, but will tolerate nutrient-deficient, dry soils, in full sun. Does well in clay soil and in cities. Transplant from containers or balled/burlapped in the early spring for best results. Zone 4-9. Needs acid soil, pH 6.1-6.5. Does well on coal-stripped land and on dry, eroding slopes. Grows in fencerows, abandoned pastures and along roadsides. Salt-tolerant. Intermediate flood tolerance. Susceptible to fungal leaf spot, and fall webworm may also develop.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts

Good wildlife value. 3-season interest: Spring, summer, & fall. Wood often used for golf club heads, billiard cues, flooring and veneer.

Suggested Uses

Used for naturalizing or in wildlife plots. Male trees make good, adaptable shade trees. Female trees provide occasional fruits, but could be messy near a road, sidewalk, deck or patio.

Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA