My Deer Garden

Plant record · Tree · Ebenaceae

Is American Persimmon deer resistant?

Diospyros virginiana

American Persimmon
Damage step 3 of 4 · Occasionally Severely Damaged

Partly. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.

Type
Tree
Hardiness
Zones 4–9
Light
Full sun
Height
360–960 in
Bloom
Spring and Summer
Maintenance
Low
Native range
31 US states
Family
Ebenaceae

Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.

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.

Protecting American Persimmon

Whether this survives comes down to local pressure, so decide on the options before it gets browsed rather than after.

  1. 1Protecting a young treeBrowsing costs a season. A buck rubbing a two-inch stem in October girdles it and kills it outright.
  2. 2How tall a deer fence needs to beEight feet, and six is the most common expensive mistake in deer fencing.
  3. 3Repellent that actually worksThe egg-based recipe that reproduces the active ingredient in the commercial sprays that win university trials.
  4. 4Check 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.

What to plant instead of American Persimmon

Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, and rated better for deer. If American Persimmon keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.

Soil and care

Soil pH
6 to 7.5
Drainage
Well drained
Water
Low
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low

Tolerances and uses

Attracts birds

Where American Persimmon grows

Hardy across every state on zone range alone, and native to 31 of them. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.

Alabama — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — hardy here. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.California — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — native, and hardy. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — native, and hardy. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.
Native and hardyHardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about American Persimmon

Is American Persimmon deer resistant?
American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged, step 3 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. 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.

Browse from here

Every list American Persimmon belongs to.

All trees·Sometimes destroyed·Full sun plants·Mast and fruit trees

Hardy in these zones

Zone 4·Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7·Zone 8·Zone 9

Damage ratings follow the four-step field scale published by Rutgers University. Growing data is compiled from state extension sources and still being verified record by record. Last reviewed .