Persimmon tree: how to plant and care for this deciduous fruit (2024)

The persimmon (Diospyros kaki), or kaki, is a deciduous fruit tree. Growing 6–14m high, it bears bright, glistening orange fruit, and has vibrant displays of yellow-orange foliage in autumn, even in warm coastal regions where few trees reliably colour. The versatile fruit can be frozen, dried, cooked or used for wine or vinegar, but its unique flavours and texture are best appreciated fresh, when perfectly ripe.

The botanic name, Diospyros, means ‘food of the gods’. It appeared in Japan about a thousand years ago and is now the national fruit, but it’s thought to have originated in China. These days it’s grown all around the world, but mostly comes from China, Japan and South Korea.

When to pick persimmons in australia

The two types of cultivars are astringent and non-astringent. More often seen in backyards than shops, astringent persimmons are wonderfully sweet when fully ripened. Unripe fruit is filled with bitter tannins, which make your mouth pucker. Pick fruit in autumn or winter, when it has developed its orange colour, and place on a sunny windowsill to ripen. The pulp should be soft and jelly-like.

Non-astringent persimmons are widely available and often sold as Fuji fruit. They are crunchy and delicious to eat straight from the tree like apples, but their sweet/tart flavour is more complex.

a guide to growing and caring for Persimmon tree in australia

Persimmon can be grown in a range of Australian climates, from subtropical to cold temperate. Non-astringent varieties suit subtropical regions well as they need a warm autumn for their fruit to fully ripen. They bloom later than most deciduous fruit trees, so they are less prone to damage by late frosts. In cooler areas, look for frost-tolerant varieties.

Choose grafted stock if available. The astringent cultivar ‘Hachiya’ is self-fertile, but other cultivars need two trees to be planted for cross-pollination.

How to grow persimmon

Plant trees in winter while they are dormant. Care should be taken not to disturb their roots at planting, as they are very fragile. Trees grow best in a slightly acidic loam, in a sheltered position in full sun. They need good drainage and well-composted soil. Spread manure and blood and bone around them in spring. Water regularly and deeply in spring and early summer, especially if it’s dry, as they need plenty of water when new growth begins. In sandy soils and inland areas, use trickle irrigation to stimulate a deep, anchoring root system. Mulch well.

How long does it take to grow a persimmon tree from seed?

You can also grow persimmon from a seed. To do so, choose a healthy-looking and fully ripe persimmon, remove the seeds and leave them to soak in warm water for three days. After that, give the seeds a good rinse to remove any remaining flesh. Wrap your clean seeds in damp paper towel, and place in a jar in the fridge for three months. Regularly mist the paper towel to prevent it from drying out.

After this point, plant your seeds in a tall pot with good drainage. Persimmon trees develop long roots quite quickly, so ensure the pot is tall enough to allow for this. If the seeds are successful, you should expect to see seedlings appear in around 6-8 weeks. Gradually move your seedlings outdoors and into stronger sunlight, and water regularly. After one year, your persimmon will be ready to transplant into the garden.

Persimmon tree care

On saplings, thin the developing fruit to improve the ultimate fruit size, tree quality and consistency in cropping. In a bumper year, thinning is essential to prevent branches breaking under the weight. Yields vary from year to year. The large-fruited cultivars can produce fruit that’s about the size of a big tomato.

Prune trees lightly. Heavy pruning promotes leafy growth at the expense of crops. Keep crowns shapely, removing branches that droop lower than a metre above ground level. Remove weak, dead or crossing branches anytime. When the trees are trained as ‘festoons’ (where side branches are tied or weighted at the tip, curving branches downwards) they fruit along the length of their branches.

Protect fruit from fruit fly, using baits and traps, and flying foxes by installing 4cm-square netting. Control sap-sucking pests with horticultural spray oil.

Astringent cultivars

• ‘Dai Dai Maru’ Sweet, round, small fruit. A good pollinator for other varieties.

• ‘Flat Seedless’ Very juicy, flat, seedless fruit. Vigorous, tall tree.

• ‘Hachiya’ or ‘Nightingale’ Sweet, juicy fruit, generally seedless. Self-fertile.

• ’20th Century’ Medium-sized fruit. Starts cropping when five years old.

Non-astringent cultivars

• ‘Fuyu’ Large, flat, sweet and crunchy fruit. Compact tree, 8–9m.

• ‘Ichikikei Jiro’ Large, flat, flavoursome, mostly seedless fruit. 6–7m high. Best choice for cool-climate backyards.

• ‘Izu’ Softer, syrupy flesh. This is the earliest maturing and largest fruiting of the non-astringent cultivars.