Diospyros virginiana - American Persimmon

The American Persimmon, in Latin Diospyros virginiana, is a large deciduous tree valued for its edible and decorative fruits in early autumn. Its round and flattened fruits, about the size of a tomato, are yellow-orange and contain sweet flesh with delicate flavours of apricot, mango, vanilla, and caramel when fully ripe. The American Persimmon is a hardy fruit and ornamental tree, best suited for warm and slightly humid summer climates.

The American Persimmon, also known as the Common Persimmon, is a fruit tree native to the southern United States, often appreciated for its ornamental appearance as well as its edible fruits. It prefers well-drained soils with a tendency towards loam and can be found in various habitats ranging from open forests to river valleys and plains. This tree can reach heights of 15 to 30 m in its natural habitat. In our climates, it will reach a height of 12 to 15 m. It has a rounded crown with spreading branches forming a fairly regular and sometimes almost spherical shape. Its bark is distinctive with coarse squares, resembling grey-brown plates.

The leaves of the American Persimmon are simple, alternate, and 5 to 15 cm long. They are generally ovate with a pointed tip and smooth edges. In autumn, they take on beautiful yellow, orange, and scarlet-red hues before falling. The flowers are small, cream-white and fragrant, appearing in May-June. The tree is often dioecious, meaning that male and female flowers are found on separate plants, although there are exceptions. For this reason, it is essential to plant two trees in the garden. The fruit, called Persimmon, is technically a berry. It is round, about 2 to 6 cm in diameter, and changes from green to yellow to a bright orange at maturity in autumn. Its flesh is very astringent when not fully ripe but becomes sweet and edible when ripe. The wood of the American Persimmon is heavy, strong, very fine, and used in woodturning. Its innermost part, which can take a century to form, resembles ebony. It is an extremely fine and almost black heartwood.

Be patient: harvesting often begins in the 3rd or 4th year. Pick the Persimmons with secateurs. They can be harvested when soft but must be consumed quickly. You can also pick them while still firm and ripen them indoors, wrapped in newspaper with the stem down, near apples. For longer storage, opt for freezing. The Persimmon is consumed when it is almost over-ripe, meaning very soft, almost too ripe. This ripening phase is necessary to remove the astringency of the fruits. In terms of cooking, the Persimmon is best enjoyed raw, cut in half and eaten with a spoon. It can be added to fruit salads, crumbles, compotes, or occasionally accompany savoury dishes. It is rich in vitamin C and provitamin A.

Diospyros virginiana is much hardier than its Asian cousins such as Diospyros kaki. While its fruits are smaller, the tree is larger and bears fruit more regularly. It is an interesting species for agroforestry.