Is American Persimmon deer resistant?
Diospyros virginiana
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Not listed by Rutgers NJAES. Rating reflects general horticultural consensus.
About American Persimmon
Native soft mast, and one of the few trees that drops fruit late enough to matter through the rut. Persimmons ripen from September into November and hold on the tree after leaf drop, which is why deer keep returning to the same tree well into the season. The thing most people get wrong is that persimmon is dioecious: trees are male or female, only females fruit, and you cannot tell which you have until they flower at six to ten years old. Plant several, or buy grafted named females and one male for pollination. It is genuinely tough once established, taking poor dry ground and drought that would kill an apple. The taproot makes it hard to transplant, so plant small and leave it alone. The unripe fruit is famously astringent enough to turn your mouth inside out. Frost is not what sweetens it, despite the folklore. Ripeness is.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Low
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Maintenance
- Low
Tolerances and uses
- Attracts birds
Deer-resistant alternatives to American Persimmon
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If American Persimmon keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
Similar to American Persimmon
Other trees with the same deer rating.
- Alternate-Leaved DogwoodCornus alternifoliaZones 3–7Occasionally damaged
- AppleMalus sp.Zones 4–9, genus rangeOccasionally damaged
- Atlantic White CedarChamaecyparis thyoidesZones 3–9Occasionally damaged
- Atlas CedarCedrus atlanticaZones 6–9Occasionally damaged
- Bald CypressTaxodium distichumZones 4–9Occasionally damaged
- Balsam FirAbies balsameaZones 3–7Occasionally damaged
Protecting American Persimmon
Whether this survives comes down to local pressure, so it is worth knowing the options before it gets browsed rather than after.
- Protecting a young treeBrowsing costs a season. A buck rubbing a two-inch stem in October girdles it and kills it outright.
- How tall a deer fence needs to beEight feet, and six is the most common expensive mistake in deer fencing.
- Repellent that actually worksThe egg-based recipe that reproduces the active ingredient in the commercial sprays that win university trials.
- Check it is actually deerDeer tear and leave a ragged stub. A clean 45-degree cut is rabbits, and slug holes get blamed on deer constantly.
Where American Persimmon grows
Hardy across most of these 51 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvanianative
- New Jerseynative
- New Yorknative
- Connecticutnative
- Massachusettsnative
- Virginianative
- Marylandnative
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohionative
- Indiananative
- Illinoisnative
- Minnesota
- Missourinative
- North Carolinanative
- Tennesseenative
- Georgianative
- Texasnative
- Colorado
- Californianative
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delawarenative
- West Virginianative
- Kentuckynative
- South Carolinanative
- Floridanative
- Alabamanative
- Mississippinative
- Louisiananative
- Arkansasnative
- Oklahomanative
- Kansasnative
- Nebraskanative
- Iowanative
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utahnative
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbianative
- Hawaii
Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 31 US states in total.
Browse from here
Every list American Persimmon belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about American Persimmon
- Is American Persimmon deer resistant?
- American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does American Persimmon grow in?
- American Persimmon is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does American Persimmon grow in shade?
- No. American Persimmon wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- How big does American Persimmon get?
- Mature height is roughly 360–960 in. Growth rate is slow.