When canoeing at YV Inner Harbour’s lake in the fall, I have seen yellowish orange fruit 1 ½ to 2 inches in diameter floating on the water. The kids with me can never guess what they are. I tell them they are persimmons that fell from a tree next to shore. When I convince them to taste the fruit, they laugh reacting as I did when I tried them as a kid. Not fully ripe, the mouth puckers. Soft and ripe, they are mild and sweet. Persimmons are interesting fruit, 
and delicious- but only when ripe.
The persimmon tree I mentioned above was probably 30 feet tall. Dropping fruit in the water was a natural way for the tree to disperse seeds, as flood water carries floating seeds well. Persimmon trees usually grow to be 30 to 40 feet tall, but may be found as tall as 80 feet. They typically have single short trunks and grow dense branches. The bark is dark gray, thick and blocky. Young twigs are fuzzy. Persimmon trees are said to be one of the last trees to leaf out in the spring and one of the first trees to drop leaves in the fall.
Leaves are glossy dark green with smooth wavy edges, are 4 to 6 inches long, and 
are elliptical or oval in shape being widest toward the middle or tip. They have rounded bases and pointed tips, and they are attached alternately by ¼ inch to 1 inch petioles.
Flowers appear after the leaves in late spring, avoiding damage from late cold snaps. Trees typically produce either female solitary flowers which are about 2/3 inches long, or male flower clusters with flowers about 1/3 inches long. However, some trees may have perfect flowers having both male and female parts. Sepals at the base of female flowers form a calyx which enlarges and becomes semi-woody as the fruit grows, and this remains on the fruit. Persimmon trees bear fruit in multiple-year 
cycles, which means a good crop one year will typically be followed by few fruit the next. The persimmon fruit is a large berry growing to about 2 inches in diameter, containing 1 to 8 seeds. The fruit shown below contained 6 seeds, and the seeds from one are presented. Persimmons remain on the tree long after leaves drop, and turn yellowish orange with tinges of red when ripe. Ripest fruit are found on the ground, where they fall after maturing, but not all fruit on the ground are fully ripe. The fruit is very astringent before ripening, but becomes mild and sweet when soft and ripe. Many animals love to eat persimmons, and this is another way seeds are dispersed.
There are 7 species of persimmon trees 
that bear edible fruit, and two are native to the United States. The variety most frequently encountered in the Atlanta area is the American persimmon, Diaspyros virginiana. It is native to the eastern United States. The Texas persimmon, Diaspyros texana, is native to Texas, Oklahoma and northeastern Mexico. Native persimmon trees and many foreign varieties bear astringent fruit that make the mouth pucker unless eaten fully ripe. They are sold in stores under the label hachiya. Non-astringent varieties are sold under the label fuyu. Because astringent varieties are soft when ripe and they do not ship and handle well, most of the varieties sold in stores are non-astringent. Persimmons grown commercially in the United States are mostly grown in California.
Because a ripe astringent persimmon is soft and somewhat mushy, most people prefer to eat it by cutting it open lengthwise, scooping out the seeds and inner stem, and eating the delicious flesh that is left with a spoon. The persimmon to the right was very mushy and messy but mild, sweet and delicious. To collect pulp for large projects, persimmons that have been tasted to make sure they are not astringent may be rubbed through a colander or squeezed through cheese cloth. Persimmons that are not totally ripe may be placed in a paper bag with an apple or banana to speed ripening. It is delicious to use persimmons in popsicles, sherbets, cookies, cakes, pies, custards and puddings. Persimmons may generally be substituted for bananas in recipes, and many good recipes are available online from Martha Stewart and others. Dried persimmons are available online, and are a delicious option to eating the fruit fresh. Persimmons are delicious eaten fresh, frozen, cooked or dried.
Eating unripe astringent persimmons is not only unpleasant, puckering the mouth, but it can be harmful if enough is consumed. When soluble tanin shibuol in the unripe persimmon comes in contact with the weak acid of the stomach, it polymerizes with other contents in the stomach forming a gluey foodball that can become hard and almost woody in consistency. Such a foodball is called a bezoar. Problems eating persimmons are rare, but those predisposed to problems are those with slowed gastric motility, previous gastric surgery, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, guillian barre, hypothyroidism, and those with other digestive issues. Coca-Cola has been successful over 90% of the time in shrinking or eliminating persimmon bezoars without surgery. While non-astringent varieties of persimmons are not known to cause problems, astringent varieties are best enjoyed by limiting consumption and eating them only when fully ripe.
The persimmon tree is important for more than its fruit. Persimmon wood is hard and dense. It is often called “white ebony” because it is in the ebony family but lighter in color. It is sometimes used in making musical instruments such as flutes and guitars. Other uses are in making mallets, drum sticks, heads of driver golf clubs, billiard cues and long bows. Unripe fruit can be used as a source of tannin to make leather. Water boiled with twigs can relieve the itch of poison ivy. Persimmons have antioxidant properties and are a rich source of important vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. Studies have shown that substances contained in the fruit have anti-tumor properties helping kill colon, prostate, and breast cancer cells. There are also heart healthy vasodilating compounds that help drop blood pressure.
Persimmon trees are not often recognized for their value. The wood is present in important things we use. The tannin is used to make leather. There are chemicals in the fruit which have medical uses. The fruit is delicious and can be prepared in many ways. Many people plant the tree on their property for the interesting specimen it is, displaying hanging fruit into winter. It would be hard to find a more useful tree.
Many have never tried persimmons. For those who would like to try them or want some for use, I give below an ad for dried persimmons. This and similar items are available for purchase here through my participation in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Any purchase through this link helps maintain this website and is appreciated.
