Diospyros kakiJapanese Persimmon

The Diospyros kaki, or Japanese Persimmon, is a spreading deciduous tree from China, cultivated for well over a thousand years across East Asia. Its broad glossy leaves turn through orange, red and gold in autumn and then fall, leaving heavy orange fruit hanging on bare grey branches for weeks, which is the image the tree is planted for.

It works as an orchard tree and equally as an ornamental in courtyards and small parks, where the autumn sequence of colour and then bare-branch fruit does the work of two seasons.

Specifications

• Height6 to 10 metres, occasionally to 12 metres
• Width4 to 7 metres
• Native toChina, with a long history of cultivation in Japan and Korea
• FoliageBroad, glossy dark green leaves turning orange, red and gold in autumn; deciduous
• Growth rateModerate

Conditions

• SoilPrefers deep, well-drained loam and dislikes waterlogged ground
• LightFull sun
• WaterModerate; regular through fruit development
• ClimateThrives in warm temperate and subtropical regions with a cool winter

Additional Features

• FlowersSmall cream flowers in late spring, inconspicuous against the new foliage
• FruitLarge orange fruit ripening in autumn and persisting on bare branches
• UsesIdeal for orchard planting, courtyard and small park feature planting, and autumn colour schemes
• SpacingPlant 5 to 7 metres apart for an orchard or open grouping
• Low MaintenancePrune in winter to keep the frame open; fruit thinning improves size in heavy years
• Pest ResistanceGenerally sound with basic orchard hygiene
• Seasonal AppealAutumn leaf colour is followed by fruit held on bare branches into early winter
• Frost ToleranceHardy when dormant and requires a period of winter chill to crop reliably

The Japanese Persimmon carries a landscape through autumn and into winter better than almost any other fruiting tree.