American Persimmon

American Persimmon 1-Year-Old Bare Root Seedlings

Diospyros virginiana

These are grown from seed I foraged from the old John Hershey farm in Downingtown, PA. Those trees are some of the best persimmon trees I've seen; loaded with decent-sized tasty fruit.  I expect their seedlings also to be tasty and high-yielding.  These trees hold on to their fruit for months at a time, ensuring a long harvest season throughout the fall and even into the winter.

This is a perfect tree for a wildlife food plot. Planting a good number of these in the back corner of your property will invite all kinds of wildlife in the fall and winter. 

When you purchase the plant it will be bare root (no soil around the roots.) The tree has gone into dormancy for the winter at this point, so it can be dug up and transplanted with almost no stress to the tree. You just have to make sure the roots stay moist. You'll receive the tree in a pot with moist woodchips or in a bag with moist paper towels wrapped around the roots. It could stay like this for weeks (as long as the roots are kept moist) but I strongly suggest planting in the ground soon after purchase. 

Note: American Persimmons are dioecious, meaning there are both male and female trees. I expect my seedlings to be about 65% female, but no guarantees. Only the females will produce fruit and you'll need at least one male around to pollinate them. That being said, I'd suggest planting at least 3 if not 4 or 5 trees to increase your odds of having both male and female plants.

Size/Spacing:

These will grow to be about 30-50' tall and 20-30' wide. Space them about 25' apart.

Site Preference:

These are quite hardy plants. They'll produce best in full sun, but can take some shade. And they tolerate a range of soil conditions. Loose well-drained soil full of organic matter is ideal, but they can handle dryer and rockier hillsides. 

Hardiness:

Hardy in USDA zones 4-9.