FNPS Plant Database

Diospyros virginiana

persimmon
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: John Bradford, Martin County Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: John Bradford, Martin County Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: John Bradford, Martin County Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

persimmon

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Diospyros virginiana

Family:

Ebenaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

35 - 60 (100) ft tall by 15 - 35 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

orange

Phenology:

Deciduous. Blooms spring but inconspicuous. Fruit ripens in fall. May live up to 100+ yrs.

Noted For:

Showy Fruits, Hurricane Wind Resistance, Fall Color

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Typically grown for its fruit. Plant in full sun. Also useful as an early successional tree in old field restoration.

Considerations:

Tent caterpillars can be an aesthetic issue and fruit drop can be messy. Persimmons are dioecious, so if you wish to have fruit, make sure that you have both male and female trees in the neighborhood.

Availability:

Native Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales, Seed

Propagation:

Seed. Fast growing.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Usually moist, occasional inundation -to- Somewhat long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray.

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Clay, Loam

Soil pH:

adaptable

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

Don't know your zone? Click here to search by zip code.

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Birds, Mammals

Larval host for royal walnut moth ( Citheronia regalis ), pecan carpenterworm moth ( Cossula magnifica ), pin-striped slug moth ( Monoleuca semifascia ), Wittfeld's forester ( Alypia wittfeldii ), hag moth ( Phobetron pithecium ), and luna moth ( Actias luna ).





Flowers are insect pollinated.

Fruits are used by a broad array of small mammals and some birds. 

Native Habitats:

Dry-moist-wet sites. Disturbed sites, wetland edges, old fields, sandhill.

Natural Range in Florida:

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Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Fruits are edible after ripening. Prior to being ripe, they are extremely astringent. Native Americans used the fruits to make bread, and also used them dried. Cooking oil can be extracted from the seeds. Confederate soldiers boiled persimmon seeds as a coffee substitute during the Civil War.

General Comments:

Persimmon wood is very hard and nearly black--it's in the ebony family.

Citations:

Burns, Russell M., and Barbara H. Honkala [Technical coordinators]. (1990). Silvics of North America: Volume 2. Hardwoods. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook 654. ( https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/1548 ). Accessed 2025.


Gann, G.D., C.J. Abbott, C.G. Stocking, K.N. Hines, and collaborators. (2001+), Natives For Your Neighborhood. ( https://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Diosvirg ). Accessed 2026. The Institute for Regional Conservation. Delray Beach, Florida.


Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, TX.


Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Nelson, Gil. (2003). Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


University of Tennessee Extension Service. (2010). Desired pH Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants. ( https://plantsciences.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/10/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf ). Accessed 2025. University of Tennessee Extension, Knoxville.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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