Diospyros virginiana seed
LATIN NAME: DIOSPYROS VIRGINIANA
COMMON NAME: American Persimmon, Common Persimmon
The American persimmon is a tree that offers one of the sweetest rewards in the orchard, but it asks for patience first. It grows as a handsome, rounded tree, reaching ten to twenty metres, with oval, glossy green leaves that turn yellow and orange in autumn, and a neat, symmetrical crown. In late spring it bears small, inconspicuous flowers, and on female trees these are followed by round, orange fruits, each topped with its persistent green calyx; the fruits are famously astringent when unripe, puckering the mouth, but when fully ripe, often once the autumn chill has touched them, they turn soft and golden with a honey-sweet, custard-like flesh that is one of the finest tastes of autumn. Native to the eastern and central United States, where it grows in woods and along field edges, it is a close relative of the tropical ebony and of the cultivated persimmon of East Asia, and it is a tough, adaptable tree that tolerates poor soil and drought.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The American persimmon has a genuine place in food and breeding research. The fruits have been studied for their nutritional value, including their high sugar content, their vitamins and their antioxidants, and researchers have examined their potential as a commercial fruit crop in North America, while the fruit is traditionally eaten in a special steamed pudding in the Midwest and its leaves have been used for a vitamin-rich tea. The plant has also been of great interest to breeders, since its seedlings are used as rootstocks for the cultivated Japanese persimmon, and researchers have studied grafting, disease resistance and cold hardiness, while its hard, heavy, fine-grained wood has been valued for small craft items, turnery and even golf-club heads. In ecology, the tree is studied for its role in wildlife habitats, since its fruits are an important autumn food for birds, deer and small mammals, and its tolerance of poor soil makes it useful in research on hardy fruit trees and land restoration.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
To grow the American Persimmon from seed, ecologically, the American persimmon is a larder for the autumn wildlife. Its sweet fruits feed birds, deer and small mammals through the autumn and into the winter, when they hang on the tree long after other food is gone, its flowers feed bees, and its dense crown gives shelter and nesting sites. Its economic value is real and growing: the fruits are prized for fresh eating and for puddings, preserves and baked goods, with increasing interest in the American persimmon as a native fruit crop, the wood is hard, heavy and fine-grained, used for small craft items, turnery and veneers, and the tree is also grown as an ornamental for its autumn colour and its attractive form. To raise the American persimmon, clean the seeds from the ripe fruit, chill them in damp compost over the winter months, then sow them in pots of free-draining compost in spring and keep them in a sunny, sheltered place.
clean the seeds from the ripe fruit and chill them in damp compost over the winter months, then sow them in pots of free-draining compost in spring, and keep the young persimmons in a sunny, sheltered place.
LATIN NAME: Diospyros virginiana
COMMON NAME: American Persimmon, Common Persimmon
The American persimmon is a tree that offers one of the sweetest rewards in the orchard, but it asks for patience first. It grows as a handsome, rounded tree, reaching ten to twenty metres, with oval, glossy green leaves that turn yellow and orange in autumn, and a neat, symmetrical crown. In late spring it bears small, inconspicuous flowers, and on female trees these are followed by round, orange fruits, each topped with its persistent green calyx. The fruits are famously astringent when unripe, puckering the mouth, but when fully ripe they turn soft and golden, with a honey-sweet, custard-like flesh that is one of the finest tastes of autumn. They are eaten fresh and make wonderful puddings.
The American persimmon belongs to the ebony family, Ebenaceae, a close relative of the tropical ebony and the cultivated persimmon of East Asia. It is native to the eastern and central United States, where it grows in woods and along field edges, and it is a tough, adaptable tree that tolerates poor soil and drought.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing an American persimmon from seed is easy and very rewarding. The seeds sit inside the ripe fruits, and they need a period of cold, moist conditions to germinate, so collect the fruits in autumn, clean the seeds, and keep them cool and damp for two to three months, or sow them in pots and leave them outdoors through winter. In spring, bring the pots to a bright spot and keep them moist. Germination usually begins within four to eight weeks. Grow the young trees on in pots for a couple of years before planting out in a sunny, well-drained spot. Seedlings may be male or female, so plant a few to be sure of fruit, and in time you will be rewarded with the sweetest taste of autumn.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The American persimmon has a genuine place in both food and breeding research. The fruits have been studied for their nutritional value, including their high sugar content, vitamins and antioxidants, and researchers have examined their potential as a commercial fruit crop in North America. The plant has also been of great interest to breeders, since its seedlings are used as rootstocks for the cultivated Japanese persimmon, and researchers have studied grafting, disease resistance and cold hardiness. In ecology, the tree is studied for its role in wildlife habitats, since its fruits are an important autumn food for birds and mammals, and its tolerance of poor soil makes it useful in research on hardy fruit trees and land restoration. For a tree that has fed people and wildlife for centuries, the American persimmon has a steady and practical record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the American persimmon is a generous tree. Its sweet fruits feed birds, deer and small mammals through autumn, its flowers feed bees, and its dense crown gives shelter and nesting sites for wildlife.
Its economic value is real and growing. The fruits are prized for fresh eating and for puddings, preserves and baked goods, and there is increasing interest in the American persimmon as a native fruit crop. The wood is hard, heavy and fine-grained, used for small craft items, golf-club heads and veneers, and the tree is also grown as an ornamental for its autumn colour and its attractive form. For a grower, the American persimmon is a promising, hardy fruit tree, and for a gardener it brings sweet fruit and golden autumn colour.
American persimmon also called simmon, possumwood, and Florida persimmon, is a slow-growing tree of moderate size found on a wide variety of soils and sites . It is native to the eastern United States and is higher in nutrients like vitamin C, calcium, iron and potassium than the Japanese Persimmon. Persimmons in the wild vary quite a bit in their fruiting habits, and that’s a good thing! Some trees may drop all at once during September, and others may not ripen till early November and drop sporadically over the next five or six weeks. Persimmon fruit is a golden yellow, round or oval, flavorful, smooth textured delicacy from the East Asia. Its sweet, delicious flesh holds several health promoting nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants that are vital for optimum health. Its fruit is traditionally eaten in a special steamed pudding in the Midwest and sometimes its timber is used as a substitute for ebony (e.g. in instruments). The American persimmon fruit is proven to be valuable food source for white tail deer, because the fruit ripens late into the year and will hang on the tree much throughout the winter months . Zone: 6 to 9 Height: 35.00 to 60.00 feet Spread: 25.00 to 35.00 feet Bloom Time: May to June Bloom Description: White to greenish yellow Sun: Full sun to part shade Medicinal use of American Persimmon: A decoction of the boiled fruit was used to treat bloody stools. (This probably refers to the unripe fruit, which is very astringent). The leaves are rich in vitamin C and are used as an antiscorbutic. A decoction of the inner-bark is highly astringent. It has been used as a mouth rinse in the treatment of thrush and sore throats. Used externally as a wash for warts or cancers . Edible parts of American Persimmon: Fruit – raw, cooked or dried and used in breads, cakes, pies, puddings etc. About the size of a plum, the fruit has an exquisitely rich flavour when it is fully ripe (and almost at the point of going bad) but it is very harsh and astringent before then. The fruit may not ripen properly in a cool summer, though if it is frosted it normally develops a very good flavour. The fruit can also be harvested in the autumn, preferably after a frost, and bletted. The fruit can also be dried and used in bread, cakes etc. The fruit is up to 4.5cm in diameter. Molasses can be made from the fruit pulp. An oil obtained from the seeds is said to taste like peanut oil. A tea is made from the dried leaves. It is high in vitamin C and has a pleasant flavour somewhat like sassafras. The roasted seed is used as a coffee substitute. Other uses : Wood – strong, hard, heavy, fine-grained, elastic, resistant to wear. A valuable wood, it is used for making wooden ware, turnery etc. It is used especially for making handles for golf clubs