Diospyros virginiana Seeds | American Persimmon

American Persimmon seeds (Diospyros virginiana)

LATIN NAME: Diospyros virginiana

COMMON NAME: American Persimmon, Common Persimmon

Plant Profile

Known to gardeners as American Persimmon, Diospyros virginiana is a handsome, rounded tree, native to eastern and central united states. The American persimmon is a tree that offers one of sweetest rewards in 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. Mature plants top out at about Ten to twenty metres. Through the flowering season it keeps visiting bees well supplied. Not many plants ask so little and repay so much.

Science & Biotechnology

Diospyros virginiana sits in the Diospyros group, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. 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. Modern propagation practice has made this species straightforward to raise by ordinary good methods.

Uses & Benefits

Gardeners value American Persimmon for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. 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. It takes hold quickly and asks for no special treatment from then on.

Persimmons are carotenoid-rich fruit, and their tannins made unripe fruit a traditional astringent; ebony relatives yield the world’s blackest cabinet wood.

Growing from Seed

Starting American Persimmon from seed is simple and satisfying. Growing an American persimmon from seed is easy and very rewarding. In spring, bring pots to a bright spot and keep them moist. Broadcast the seed thinly over a fine, free-draining compost, sieve a little more compost on top, and water with a fine rose. Once the seedlings have made true leaves, pot them on individually and plant out when they are sturdy and conditions are right.

Our Take

Its wild home in eastern and central united states explains both its toughness and its preferences in the garden. It tolerates the sort of small mistakes every beginner makes.

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