Gardening Trees, Shrubs & Vines Trees American Persimmon By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on October 19, 2017 Share Tweet Pin Email American persimmon is a tall shade tree that's sadly underused in gardens. It features dark green foliage that often develops yellow or red tones in fall. Older trees have distinctive bark that almost looks scaly, as though it's covered in small silvery plates. Male and female flowers appear on separate plants; the female trees produce an edible fruit if there's a male nearby for pollination. The fruits are also great for attracting birds. American persimmon does best in full sun and moist, well-drained soil, but it tolerates drought fairly well. American Persimmon Overview Genus Name Diospyros virginiana Common Name American Persimmon Plant Type Tree Light Sun Height 20 to 20 feet Width null to 35 feet Foliage Color Chartreuse/Gold Season Features Colorful Fall Foliage, Summer Bloom Special Features Attracts Birds Zones 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Propagation Seed Problem Solvers Good For Privacy Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit