Persimmon – Planting from Fruit

Q: My granddaughter found a persimmon while walking the dogs. Can I plant it and have a tree in my yard?

A: You can certainly plant it and eventually get a tree but there is a caveat. The seed might produce either a male or female persimmon tree. Only the female will have fruit, and you won’t know which sex you have for several years. If you like the fruit, consider Oriental persimmon, which does not need a pollinator. The varieties ‘Fuyu’, ‘Jiro’ and ‘Hana Fuyu’ are almost completely non-astringent, even when unripe.