American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)
Diospyros ver-jin-ee-AY-nah

Deciduous Perennial Oval, Rounded in the Ebenaceae Family
 
Buy American Persimmon
Size Notes Price Availability
#3 gallon Field $41.18 Likely available
11/1 - 11/8
1/24 - 4/4

A North American native fruit tree with distinctive alligator-pattern bark and sweet, astringent-until-ripe fruit beloved by wildlife.
American persimmon is a slow-growing native tree found across the central and eastern US, instantly recognizable by its thick, dark bark broken into small square blocks. Male and female flowers grow on separate trees, so a female needs a nearby male to set fruit. The waxy, pale orange fruit is intensely astringent until fully soft-ripe, after which it turns sweet -- and it's a wildlife magnet, eaten by everything from songbirds to black bears.

Pros

  • True North American native with excellent wildlife value
  • Distinctive, ornamental blocky bark
  • Sweet, richly flavored fruit once fully ripe
  • Drought tolerant once established

Cons

  • Unripe fruit is intensely astringent and unpalatable
  • Female trees need a male pollinator nearby to fruit
  • Deep taproot makes transplanting difficult
  • Root suckers can become a persistent nuisance
Why Like Native across central and eastern North America, from New England to Florida and west to Texas and Kansas. A larval host plant for the Luna moth and hickory horned devil caterpillar, with fruit relished by birds, deer, raccoons, foxes, and black bears, and leaves and twigs browsed by deer.
Highlights A true native tree offering fall-ripening fruit, striking blocky bark, and strong wildlife value -- a Luna moth host plant eaten by birds, deer, foxes, raccoons, and even black bears.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 35 - 60 feet tall. 25 - 35 feet wide.
Growth Rate Slow
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Dry - Wet: Drought tolerant once established, but also tolerates occasional wet conditions -- an adaptable range from dry to wet.
Zones 4a - 9b (Usually hardy to -30° F)
Tags Deciduous, Dry, Full Sun, Medium, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Wet, Wet Site Tolerant
Bloom Period May To June
Flower Color White To Greenish Yellow
 

More Info from Experts
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/03 - 07/26


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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!