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Index : Citrus and Other Fruits
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- 4. Oriental Persimmons - Attractive & Delicious! - Top
- Oriental also called Japanese persimmons are great fruit trees for most of Southern Arizona from Tucson to Sierra Vista and points between. Although considered a sub-tropical fruit, Oriental persimmon can tolerate temperatures as low as 10° F and as high as + 100° F. Their fruits are a beautiful orange red, peach-sized, sweet and distinctive.
Oriental persimmons (Diospyros khaki L.) are divided into two major categories: astringent (puckery) and non-astringent. Popular astringent types such as: Hachiya, Tanenashi, Eureka, Saijo and Yokono must ripen to become soft, somewhat mushy, before losing their pucker power. Popular non-astringent types including; Fuyu, Matsumoto Wase Fuyu, Jiro, Izu, Hanagosho, and Suruga are not astringent even when unripe. The most popular Fuyu is firm when ripe having the consistency of an apple and is eaten in the same manner.
Astringent persimmons are eaten soft, usually eaten in hand or cut in half and served with a spoon. They’re also great for flavoring ice cream and yogart, and baking in cakes, cookies and puddings. Astringents such as Hachiya are extremely sweet when ripe, a real treat picked soft off the tree or after they’ve fallen to the ground. Ripe fruits can be frozen whole or pulped and frozen to store. Fruit pulp can also be dried.
Trees range in size from 15 to 25 feet at maturity, with a somewhat smaller spread. The semi-dwarf cultivar ‘Ichikikei-Jiro’ grows only 6 to 8 feet tall. In general, Oriental persimmons trees have a relatively open, sometimes willowy canopy of attractive blue green oblong shaped leaves great for providing shade. Orange-yellow fall leaf color is also nice. But the showiest aspect of the tree are the large orange to red-orange persimmons. About the size of tennis balls, the persimmons are capped by a distinctive green caylx somewhat like a tomato only larger and more pronounced. Fruit ripen, depending on the variety from September through December. As the leaves are shed in the fall, the orange fruit hangs on the branches like large tree ornaments.
The trees will grow in many different types of soils but should be planted on moderate to well drained soils away from caliche layers. Select a site in full sun. Container grown trees can be purchased and planted anytime. Bare-root trees, available from mail order sources, should be planted December through February.
Oriental persimmons are self-fruitful, so only one tree is needed to produce fruit. Trees are 5 years old when they begin bearing fruit. As most plants purchased from local or mail order sources will be at least 2 years old, you’ll have 3 years or less after planting before trees begin bearing fruit.
The best time to plant persimmon trees are in October or February. If you purchase a bare-root tree it should be planted in February. Container grown trees can be planted anytime, although the best time to plant these would be in October or March. Trees should be planted directly in existing yard soil. Test drainage prior to planting. Dig a hole 12 inches wide and 18 inches deep. Fill with water and let drain. Fill it a second time and time how long it takes for the hole to drain. If it drains in 48 hours or less, it’s a suitable location for planting your persimmon. If it doesn’t, look for another spot.
A newly planted tree should be watered daily for the first three or four weeks, then gradually increase the days between watering. After the first year, the tree is considered established and can be placed on a permanent watering schedule - once or twice weekly spring through fall and once every two weeks during the winter.
Persimmon trees need periodic applications of nitrogen and phosphorous. Start fertilization beginning the season after planting. I recommend using ammonium phosphate (16-20-0) at the rate of one-half pound (approximately one cup) per application in early March, late June and in late September for young trees. After three or four years of growth, increase the amount of fertilizer applied to one pound (two cups) per tree, per application.
Unlike other deciduous fruit trees like peach and plum, persimmons do not need annual pruning. Just keep the any dead wood cut out and prune for size control if necessary. Any pruning should be done during the dormant season.
Check with your local garden center for availability of trees. Several on-line nurseries specialize in Oriental persimmons. They include; TyTy Nursery at: www.tytyga.com, Trees of Antiquity at: www.treesofantiquity.com and Raintree Nursery at: www.raintreenursery.com
Written by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona,
520-626-5161. - Updated: May 8, 2005
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