Botanical Name: Diospyros virginiana

Botanical Name: Diospyros virginiana
Attributes: Small to medium-sized tree native to the lower Midwest and South (hardy in zones 5-9). It is best known for its fruit, which are delicious and edible only after they are soft and ripe. The tree has ornamental bark in winter, looking blocky and somewhat like an alligator's hide. Trees often form delightful groves and have dark green glossy leaves in summer. Fall foliage is usually not colorful and the creamy orange (turning black when overripe) fruit sometimes persists after the leaves drop. The tree is in the ebony family and has strong, beautiful wood.
Bloom color: Greenish white (not showy but surprisingly fragrant)
Bloom time: Spring
Culture: Persimmons are difficult to transplant because they are deep rooted. Plants grown in containers usually transplant more readily. Plant them in full sun and in deep soil that may be either wet or dry. They grow wild in swamps to dry hills. Water them consistently for the first couple of seasons; they will become very drought-tolerant once established. Plants are usually male or female so you need one of each for fruit production or purchase the self-fruitful cultivar "Meader." Meader Persimmon's fruit will not have seeds if it is not pollinated.
Landscaping tips: A great tree for edible landscaping, fruit orchards, naturalistic landscapes, woodland gardens or wildlife-attracting gardens. They are beautiful planted (or allowed to grow) in groves, where their trunks are quite ornamental in the winter landscape. The fallen fruit can be a nuisance on turf or a patio but is not a problem if shade-loving perennials, woodland wildflowers or groundcovers are planted beneath the trees.
Cost: Available in 3-gallon pots for about $25 from growers of native plants; the self-fruiting cultivar "Meader" is readily available by mail order for about $20 to $50, depending on the plant's size and whether it is bare root or pot grown (more expensive).
Source: Powell Gardens (www.powellgardens.org)