Persimmons are an unusual American fruit that can colonize in abandoned fields and open woods. Female trees bear astringent orange fruits that become fully ripe after a frost.
Latin Name
Diospyros virginiana
Family
Ebenaceae
Type of Plant
Trees
Fruits
Bloom Season
May - June
Seasons
Fall
Specifications
Max Height: 60'
Max Spread: 35'
Uses
Sunlight Exposure
Full Sun
Part Shade
Tolerances
Colors
Native Range
Eastern and midwestern United States
History
George Washington's loyalist friend and neighbor Jonathon Boucher wrote to him in 1784 regarding the newly formed American government, "Many of the Speculations which the late unsettled Times have given Birth to, resemble your Persimmons before the Frost: They are fair to the Eye & specious; but really disgusting & dangerous."
Planted at Mount Vernon
Hardiness Zones
Average annual extreme minimum temperature 1976-2005
Bartlett Tree Expert Company has been working with Mount Vernon Estate since 2011 providing expert arboricultural care and GPS mapping for the estate’s historic trees, as well as support from their research facility. Mount Vernon is proud to partner with Bartlett Tree Experts and appreciates their sponsorship of George Washington’s Mount Vernon Plant Finder App.
Bring Washington's Garden Home
Purchase our historic seeds, collected from plants grown at Mount Vernon and plant them in your own garden.
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