About Persimmons

Most of the world calls them kaki; they are caqui in Spanish, or Sharon fruit in Israel. In the United States, we call them persimmons after the Algonquin Indian name for Diospyros virginiana, the native american persimmon or Possum Persimmon. The genus name, Diospyros, means “food for the gods”. Once you get to know persimmons, you will agree they are indeed food for the gods. The genus Diospyros has three species of importance to the home gardener, kaki, virginiana and digyna.

DIOSPYROS kaki is an oval shaped tree that grows to 20 to 25 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide. Its most common varieties are:

• CALIFORNIA FUYU (Oku Gosho?): Medium, round with a slight point, orange to deep red-orange color, sporadic male blossoms, often seedy, non-astringent, firm-ripe.
• 
  CHOCOLATE: Small reddish-orange, flesh is streaked with brown when cross pollinated, soft-ripe.
  
• FUYU: Medium, oval like a flattened apple or tomato, pale orange to deep red-orange color, non-astringent, firm-ripe.
  
• GIANT FUYU (Jumbu or Hana Fuyu): Large somewhat irregular tapered shape, ripens quickly, very sweet, pale orange to deep red-orange color, non-astringent, firm-ripe.
  
• HACHIYA: Large, acorn-shaped persimmon, deep orange-red color, soft-ripe.
  
• JIRO: Very similar and often confused with fuyu, squarish and truncated, pale orange to deep red-orange color, non-astringent, firm-ripe.
  
• TAMOPAN: Large, irregularly globed rounded, deep orange-red color, soft-ripe.
  
• TANENASHI: Medium, cone-shaped, yellow-orange, early ripening, seed-less, more widely grown in the south eastern United States, soft-ripe.
  

DIOSPYROS virginiana is a cone shaped tree that grows to 35 to 60 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide. Its most common varieties are:

• EARLY GOLDEN: Small round deep orange color, soft-ripe.
  
• GARRETTSON: Small round deep orange color, soft-ripe.
  
• KILLEN: Small round deep orange color, soft-ripe.
  
• DIOSPYROS digyna: The black sapote, chocolate brown color, thin skinned, soft-ripe.
  The genus diospyros also includes:
  
• DIOSPYROS texana or Black Persimmon, an American native found in Texas.
  
• DIOSPYROS lotus or Chinese date plum, small 1-inch dark brown fruit commonly used as root stock with it’s many branching roots. There is a compatibility problem between fuyu and D. lotus.
  
• DIOSPYROS discolor: mabolo or velvet apple of Malaysia.

Nutritional Breakdown

Persimmon - One medium-size raw118 Calories, 134.9g Water, 0.3g Fat, 168g Weight, 1.0g Protein, 31.2g Carbohydrate 13mg Vit.C, .03mg Vit.B-2, 13mcg. Folate, 3640 IU Vit.A, 0.5mg Vit.B-1, 0.2mg Niacin, 3mg Sodium, 13mg Calcium, 15mg Magnesium, .18mg Zinc,.596mg Manganese 270mg Potassium, 28mg Phosphorus, .26mg Iron, .190mg Copper.Persimmon - One medium-size dried93 Calories, 7.8g Water, 0.2g Fat, 34g Weight, 0.5g Protein, 25g Carbohydrate 0mg Vit.C, .01mg Vit.B-2, 190 IU Vit.A, 0 Vit.B-1, 0.1mg Niacin, 1mg Sodium, 8mg Calcium, 11mg Magnesium, .14mg Zinc, .473 mg Manganese, 273mg Potassium, 27mg Phosphorus, .25mg Iron, .150mg Copper.