Japanese Persimmon Tree ‘Fuyu’ (Diospyros kaki)

Long known as a productive fruiting tree for warm temperate and subtropical zones, the ‘Fuyu’ persimmon also makes a great container plant for gardeners in northern regions. Our ‘Fuyu’ persimmon tree at Logee’s has been growing in the ground in our cold greenhouse since the 1940’s and reliably produces fruit every fall. But unknown to most gardeners, it does equally well in containers except the fruit grows a little smaller. The persimmon fruit ripens in the fall and will hold onto the tree long after the leaves have fallen. The skin and pulpy flesh is a gorgeous flame-orange. ‘Fuyu’ has few seeds and is known for its nonastringent quality. This simply means that you can eat the fruit hard or soft. When soft, cutting the fruit in half and scooping out the sweet nectar is a mouth-watering experience. Give the plant full sun and plenty of water during the active growing season. If grown as a container plant in the north, as long as the nighttime temperatures during the winter reach down into the 40’s and stay above the mid 20’s ‘Fuyu’ will produce reliably. As a deciduous plant, it can be kept without light during the winter as long as the temperatures are kept cold.