Japanese Persimmon

Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki, Ebenaceae) is a deciduous tree from China and Japan, reaching 15 to 30 feet tall with a spread of about 23 feet. Elliptic-ovate leaves (6 to 18 centimeters) are glossy dark green, turning vivid yellow, orange, and red in fall. Inconspicuous white flowers appear from May to June. The edible fruit (3.5 to 7 centimeters) ripens orange to yellow in fall; some cultivars are parthenocarpic, setting fruit without pollination.

Japanese persimmon grows in full sun on adaptable, well-drained soils with moderate water needs, hardy in Zones 7a to 8b. Documented diseases include canker and dieback, fig mosaic disease, fruit rot, leaf spot, and leaf drop. The cultivar 'Fuyu-Jiro' is in the trade. The species is dioecious; both male and female plants are needed for pollinated fruit, though parthenocarpic cultivars produce seedless fruit without a pollinator.