Persimmon trees

How should you choose a persimmon tree?

A persimmon tree should not be chosen solely according to fruit size, colour or the lowest winter temperature quoted for the cultivar.

It is equally important to understand its astringency type, harvest season, ability to produce without pollination, mature tree size and compatibility with the rootstock.

Two persimmons that appear almost identical can require completely different eating stages.

One may be eaten firm and crisp, while another must become exceptionally soft and almost translucent before its soluble tannins cease to produce a dry and unpleasant sensation in the mouth.

In cool European climates, earliness is often the first selection criterion.

A tree may survive severe winter cold but still fail to produce satisfactory fruit because the cultivar requires a longer and warmer autumn than the site can provide.

The complete combination of cultivar, rootstock, exposure and local growing season should therefore be considered rather than treating every persimmon tree as interchangeable.

Asian, American or hybrid persimmon?

An astringent persimmon is not simply an unripe non-astringent persimmon

Persimmon astringency is caused principally by soluble tannins that react with proteins in the saliva.

The result is an immediate dry, rough and puckering sensation throughout the mouth.

In an astringent cultivar, orange skin does not prove that the fruit is ready to eat.

A persimmon can be deeply coloured, relatively sweet and still remain intensely astringent.

During normal ripening or a controlled deastringency process, the soluble tannins become insoluble and no longer produce the same sensation.

In traditional astringent cultivars, this transformation is usually associated with a considerable softening of the flesh.

The fruit may eventually become almost gelatinous while remaining perfectly healthy and exceptionally sweet.

This soft texture is normal for many cultivars and should not automatically be mistaken for decay.

Persimmons do not need frost before they can be eaten

Frost is not required to remove persimmon astringency.

The belief probably developed because many traditional cultivars ripen late in autumn, after the first cold nights have occurred.

A mature astringent fruit can soften and lose its astringency on the tree or after harvest without being frozen.

A severe frost may instead damage the skin and cells of the fruit.

Frozen fruit can become watery, translucent, irregularly brown or susceptible to rapid decay after thawing.

Cold weather and natural ripening should therefore not be confused with actual freezing injury.

The four persimmon groups based on astringency and pollination

The technical classification of Asian persimmons distinguishes four main groups.

These groups explain why seed formation changes the colour and eating quality of some cultivars but has little effect on others.

“Apple persimmon” is a commercial description

An apple persimmon is not a hybrid between an apple and a persimmon and does not represent a separate botanical species.

The expression normally describes a non-astringent persimmon that can be eaten with firm flesh.

PCNA cultivars correspond most closely with this use.

Their flesh is nevertheless different from that of an apple: it is denser, more melting and becomes progressively softer as maturity advances.

A genetically astringent fruit treated professionally to remove astringency while still firm may also be sold as a firm-eating persimmon.

For the gardener, the PCNA, PCA, PVNA or PVA classification is therefore more informative than the general expression apple persimmon.

Earliness is essential in cooler European climates

Persimmon trees normally begin growth and flower relatively late, providing better protection from ordinary spring frost than almonds, apricots or peaches.

The fruit then requires a long growing period before reaching complete maturity.

In cool, maritime, northern or elevated regions, early and mid-season cultivars are normally the most reliable.

They have a greater chance of accumulating enough sugar, developing their mature colour and losing their astringency before strong autumn frosts.

A late cultivar may perform successfully in a warm urban garden, on a well-exposed slope or against a sunny wall.

The same cultivar may remain immature in an open, shaded or frost-prone position only a short distance away.

A warm microclimate can improve maturity but cannot transform an exceptionally late cultivar into a genuinely early one.

A mature persimmon can continue softening after picking, but fruit harvested far before physiological maturity may never develop its full sweetness and aroma.

Persimmon harvest season

Early American and hybrid persimmons can begin ripening substantially sooner than late Asian cultivars.

Actual harvest dates vary according to cultivar, country, exposure, rootstock, tree vigour, crop load and seasonal temperatures.

The calendar is intended principally for comparing cultivars rather than predicting one exact harvest date for every garden.

Is a pollinating cultivar required?

Many cultivars of Diospyros kaki produce principally or exclusively female flowers.

They can nevertheless form fruit without fertilisation through parthenocarpy.

One tree can therefore often produce seedless persimmons without a male-flowering cultivar nearby.

The presence of pollen can improve fruit set and reduce part of the natural fruit drop in certain cultivars.

Pollination is not always desirable because it produces seeds and can alter flesh colour and astringency in PVNA and PVA cultivars.

For a PVNA cultivar, pollination may be required to obtain the characteristic brown, firm and non-astringent flesh.

For a PCNA cultivar, pollination may improve fruit retention but is not required to remove astringency.

The decision therefore depends on the objective: seedless fruit, improved fruit set or deliberate production of pollination-affected brown flesh.

Male and female flowering can vary between cultivars

Persimmon flowers may be female, male or occasionally bisexual, depending on species and cultivar.

Some cultivars that normally produce female flowers can form a limited number of male flowers under particular conditions or on particular branches.

A cultivar described as a pollinator should be known to produce sufficient viable pollen during the flowering period of the principal cultivar.

Simply planting two persimmon cultivars does not guarantee pollination when both produce only female flowers.

For American persimmons, some cultivars require a separate male tree while others can form parthenocarpic fruit.

The flowering and fertility information must therefore be checked for each named cultivar rather than inferred solely from the species.

Why does a persimmon tree drop young fruit?

Persimmon trees naturally shed part of their young fruit after flowering and may experience another period of fruit drop during early summer.

Parthenocarpic seedless fruit is often more likely to fall than fruit containing seeds.

This helps explain why a cultivar capable of cropping alone may retain fruit more regularly when compatible pollen is present.

Excessively vigorous growth, poor light within the crown, too much nitrogen, drought and waterlogged soil can increase fruit drop.

A sudden interruption of water supply during early fruit development is particularly stressful.

Young grafted trees may flower before their branch structure and root system are capable of supporting a complete crop.

Heavy fruit drop during the first productive years does not therefore prove that the cultivar is defective.

Thin heavy crops to prevent branch breakage

Persimmon wood can be brittle and mature fruit becomes increasingly heavy as harvest approaches.

A branch carrying several large persimmons near its end can bend severely or break.

After the principal natural fruit drop, remove malformed, damaged or tightly grouped fruit and persimmons carried by weak shoots.

Allow the remaining fruit enough space to develop without pressing continuously against one another.

Thinning improves final size, colour and airflow around the crop.

It also reduces the risk that an exceptionally heavy crop will be followed by a year with very few flowers.

On a young tree, retain a modest and evenly distributed crop rather than allowing the first fruiting to deform the developing framework permanently.

Which rootstock should be chosen for a persimmon?

The rootstock influences root hardiness, vigour, soil adaptation, anchorage, establishment and the long-term compatibility of the graft.

It does not determine every characteristic of the complete tree.

The grafted cultivar retains its own shoot hardiness, fruit maturity date and astringency type.

A very hardy rootstock cannot make the fruit of an exceptionally late cultivar mature several weeks earlier.

Read our guide to fruit-tree rootstocks

Which soil is suitable for persimmon trees?

Persimmon trees adapt to several soil types but produce best in deep, fertile and adequately drained ground that retains useful moisture during summer.

Serious drought during fruit growth increases fruit drop and restricts final size.

Continuously saturated soil deprives the roots of oxygen and can cause progressive decline.

Deep structured clay can be suitable when water can move through it and the chosen rootstock is adapted to the conditions.

A compact hollow in which water remains visible for prolonged periods is unsuitable.

Diospyros virginiana is generally the more versatile rootstock for cool or moisture-retentive soils.

Diospyros lotus performs particularly well in drained ground and warmer conditions.

Rootstock choice extends the range of possible soils but cannot compensate for permanent root suffocation.

Choose a warm, sunny position

Persimmon trees require abundant light to ripen fruit and mature their current-season shoots before winter.

Choose a sunny position with a southern or western aspect where possible.

A warm wall, sheltered courtyard or well-exposed slope can be valuable for Asian cultivars in cool regions.

Avoid deep shade, enclosed frost pockets and the bottom of slopes where cold air accumulates.

Some shelter from cold winds is useful, especially for young trees, but the position should retain enough airflow for foliage and fruit to dry after rain.

The mature dimensions depend on cultivar, rootstock, soil and pruning.

A vigorous persimmon on Diospyros virginiana requires substantially more space than the small nursery tree suggests.

Planting a young persimmon tree

Dormant bare-root trees should be planted between leaf fall and early spring whenever the ground is neither frozen nor waterlogged.

In cold or wet regions, late-winter or early-spring planting may be safer than leaving a newly planted tree in saturated soil throughout winter.

Container-grown persimmons that have already begun producing leaves are considerably more vulnerable to frost than dormant established trees.

Plant actively growing trees after the principal frost risk has passed or provide temporary protection during cold nights.

Prepare a broad area of soil after it has drained sufficiently and developed a fine workable structure.

Remove couch grass, bindweed, docks and other perennial weeds before planting.

Do not create a narrow hole filled entirely with potting compost or fresh manure.

Backfill mainly with the original soil, improved across a broad area with mature compost where necessary.

Keep the graft union clearly above the final soil level.

Water thoroughly after planting and support the tree with a suitable stake where wind movement could damage the developing roots.

Water throughout the first growing season

A young persimmon requires regular water while its root system is establishing.

Watering should not stop several weeks after planting.

A tree that begins growing successfully during spring may still suffer severe stress during its first dry summer.

Apply enough water to moisten the developing root zone rather than wetting only the soil surface.

Allow air to return to the soil between applications and adjust frequency according to weather and soil texture.

Maintain a broad weed-free area because dense grass competes strongly with a young tree for water.

An organic mulch reduces evaporation but should not remain piled against the trunk or graft union.

How should a persimmon tree be trained?

A persimmon can be trained with a central leader and several well-spaced main branches.

This creates a strong framework while allowing light to reach the interior of the crown.

Correct narrow branch angles while the tree is young because the increasing weight of the fruit can later split weak forks.

Remove competing leaders and badly positioned shoots before their diameter becomes excessive.

Do not raise the crown too rapidly.

Temporary lower branches help strengthen the trunk and can be removed progressively once the main framework has developed.

Fruit may require support where a young branch is carrying an unexpectedly heavy crop.

Which wood carries persimmon fruit?

Persimmons are carried on current-season shoots that develop from buds formed on wood produced during the previous growing season.

Removing a large proportion of this one-year-old wood therefore reduces the number of shoots capable of flowering and fruiting.

The tree must maintain a regular supply of healthy young growth without becoming excessively vigorous.

Fruit is often concentrated towards the outer parts of the crown where the shoots receive the most light.

A dense and shaded tree gradually becomes less productive within its centre and carries increasingly heavy fruit loads at the ends of long branches.

How should an adult persimmon be pruned?

Pruning should remain relatively light once the framework has been established.

Remove dead or damaged wood, strongly crossing branches and excessive growth that prevents light from entering the crown.

Retain enough one-year-old wood to produce the following crop.

Severe cutting removes future fruiting positions and stimulates long vertical shoots.

This vegetative reaction can delay cropping and increase natural fruit drop.

A tree that has become too large should be reduced gradually over several seasons rather than topped abruptly.

Large wounds close slowly and can create weak points within the future framework.

Are persimmon trees resistant to disease?

Persimmons are generally robust fruit trees and usually require less protection than highly susceptible peaches or apples.

They are not completely free from disease.

In cooler climates, the most frequent difficulties are often insufficient fruit maturity, poor establishment, winter injury to inadequately matured shoots and physiological fruit drop rather than epidemic disease.

How should persimmons be harvested?

Cut persimmons with secateurs while retaining a short section of stalk and the complete calyx.

Pulling directly on the fruit can tear the skin, detach the calyx or break the fruiting shoot.

PCNA cultivars can be harvested once they have developed their characteristic mature colour while the flesh remains firm.

Their sugar and aroma normally continue improving while weather conditions allow them to remain on the tree.

Astringent cultivars can be picked when fully coloured and physiologically mature but still firm, then allowed to soften indoors.

They are ready to eat only when no dry or rough sensation remains.

A healthy astringent persimmon that has become almost liquid is not necessarily rotten.

This can represent the normal eating stage of a traditional cultivar.

Recognising frost damage on persimmon fruit

A light frost does not automatically destroy a mature fruit, but prolonged or severe freezing can damage its cells.

Symptoms include unnaturally translucent skin, watery areas, abnormal browning and rapid collapse after thawing.

This deterioration differs from the uniform, aromatic and gelatinous softening of a normally ripened astringent persimmon.

Where strong frost is forecast, harvesting mature fruit and allowing it to finish softening indoors is generally safer than leaving the crop exposed.

Fruit that remains far from physiological maturity before frost may not complete normal ripening after an early harvest.

Storing persimmons after harvest

Firm persimmons must be handled carefully because their skin marks easily and bruising encourages uneven softening and decay.

Astringent fruit can be stored while firm and brought into warmer conditions progressively.

This allows consumption to be spread over time rather than allowing the complete crop to become soft simultaneously.

Non-astringent cultivars generally store more successfully when harvested firm, although sensitivity to cold-storage disorders varies by cultivar.

Some persimmons develop internal browning, abnormal softness or reduced flavour after inappropriate storage.

For household use, a cool room combined with frequent inspection is often more useful than prolonged storage without monitoring.

Remove fruit showing mould, fermentation or leaking skin before it affects neighbouring persimmons.

Which persimmon should you choose?

In every case, compare real harvest dates observed in a similar climate rather than relying only on general descriptions of hardiness.

A smaller early fruit that ripens fully is normally more valuable than an impressive late persimmon that remains pale, hard and weakly flavoured.