American Persimmon—Diospyros Virginiana

Medium | Deciduous | Height: 30-80 feet | Spread: 20-35 feet

Persimmons are dioecious, meaning there are separate male and female trees, and you need both to get fruit. Persimmon grows best in moist, well-drained, sandy soils in full sun to partial shade. It will tolerate hot, dry conditions, poor soils, urban conditions, and wind. The persimmon flowers in spring to early summer and produces fruits in the fall.

The fruits are very sweet when ripe and serve as a food source for many birds (look for the yellow rumped warbler) and mammals. It is also a larval host plant for the luna moth and hickory horndevil larvae.

More information on the characteristics and cultivation of this species can be found at https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/diospyros-virginiana