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American Persimmon
Scientific Name:
Diospyros virginiana
Type:
Tree
Habitat:
Dry woodlands and open areas
Range:
Southeastern United States
Status:
No listed status
This species is
NON-NATIVE
to the Truckee Meadows.
Identification:
American persimmons are irregularly shaped, medium sized trees that grow about 60 feet high and can spread 20 to 30 feet wide. Its leaves are green and its bark is grayish in color. Leaves are simple and turn yellow or red in the fall. Persimmon fruits are 1 to 3 inches long, edible, orange and round in shape - typically the fruiting season is between October and February.
Fast Facts:
There are over 2,000 varieties of persimmon worldwide, but only two types are commercially available; hachiya and fuyu.
American persimmons are also sometimes called possumwood.
Persimmon fruit is considered a berry and can take up to 7 years to develop. The fruit has to be cured before consumption, but each fruit contains half an adult’s daily value of vitamin C. Other health benefits include, high in vitamin A, B-carotene, lutein, folic acid, vitamin B-6, thiamin, potassium, manganese, copper, and phosphorus.
In Japan, persimmons are often used to make beverages. Unripened fruit is used to brew sake while dried leaves used to make tea.
American persimmons are often cultivated and planted in urban environments, such as Idlewild Park in Reno.
Sources:
USDA Plant Guide American Persimmon
Wildflower.org Diospyros virginiana
California Rare Fruit Growers Diospyros virginiana
US Forest Service Common Persimmon
Uncommon Fruits Persimmon
Image: David Stang, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Diospyros_virginiana_9zz.jpg, license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en, cropped from original.
Image: Fritzflohrreynolds, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Diospyros_virginiana_-_American_Persimmon.jpg, license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en, cropped from original.
Image: Fritzflohrreynolds, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Diospyros_virginiana_-_American_Persimmons.jpg, license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en, cropped from original.
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Bridget Mulkerin (research & content)
Max Whealon (research & content)
Alex Shahbazi (edits & page design)