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Meader Common Persimmon

Diospyros virginiana (dee-oh-SPR-os vir-jin-ee-AY-uh)

Family: Ebenaceae Unknown Understory (15-40 ft)

As with its parent plant, the 'Meader' cultivar of the common persimmon is beautiful, delicious, and easy to grow, and offers year-round interest in the landscape. The common persimmon is in the Ebenaceae family native to the central and eastern United States and can reach 30 to 80 feet high and 20 to 35 feet wide depending on the cultivar. 'Meader' was bred by the late Elwin Meader of the University of New Hampshire to be self-pollinating. If the flowers are not pollinated, it will produce seedless fruit. If they are pollinated, the fruit will contain seeds. 'Meader' is a cold-hardy tree easily grown in full sun to part shade with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5, 'Meader' typically grows to 30’ tall and prefers moist, sandy soils but is tolerant of a variety of soils. It is drought tolerant once established. It has superior ornamental qualities. Dark green foliage is attractive throughout the growing season before turning excellent shades of red and yellow in fall. The fruits, which begin to ripen in the fall, are apricot-sized to 2" in diameter and deep orange when ripe with a sweet flavor. It can be grown as an ornamental or fruit tree in the home landscape, or in naturalized areas for wildlife. Thus, it can be placed in many types of gardens: a butterfly, children's, native, nighttime, pollinator, or rain garden. With spectacular autumn foliage and fruit that extends the harvest late into the fall, they are an excellent addition to an edible landscape. Fruit can stay on the tree after the leaves have fallen unaffected by freezing temperatures, giving an attractive addition to a winter garden. They do produce root suckers. Remove promptly unless a naturalized effect is wanted. Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: Leaf spot may occur. Fruit drop can be messy. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for " Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants " a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Diospyros virginiana .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 73 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 2 - Understory (15-40 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Diospyros virginiana 'C-100' Diospyros virginiana 'Killen' Diospyros virginiana 'Morris Burton'
Native alternatives Diospyros virginiana

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Edible; Tree
Life cycle
Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12-24 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 25 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in. | Width: 15 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Oval; Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Oblong; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire; Serrate
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Leaves are broadly oblong and pointed with smooth edges or some serration. They are 2 to 6 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide with an acuminate apex and rounded base. The lower surface is usually lighter-colored and may have hairs, especially on young leaves. The fall color is yellow to reddish-purple. Leaves have a broad mid-rib with dark veins on the underside.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow; Orange; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green; White
Flower value
Fragrant
Flower form
Cyme; Insignificant
Flower shape
Bell; Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The tree is dioecious which male and female flower blooms on different trees from May to June. Fragrant, small, white to greenish-yellow flowers bloom in late spring, with the tubular male flowers appearing in 2 to 3 flower clusters and the female flower appearing solitary and bell or urn-shaped with 4 recurved petals. Blooms from May to June.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Orange
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
Medium to large-sized, showy deep orange fruit in the fall, usually will hang on the tree through into winter. Early ripening. Astringent unless overripe.
Bark color
Black; Dark Gray
Bark detail
It is one of the easiest trees to identify in winter because of its distinctive thick, dark grey bark that is divided by furrows into square blocks resembling a checkerboard, sometimes referred to as "alligator bark."
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Stems are pubescent. Buds are single, sessile, 2 overlapping scales, 1/4" long, dark reddish - almost black, no terminal bud. Branchlets slender, zigzag, at first light reddish-brown and pubescent. They vary in color from light brown to ashy gray.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Distribution
Central and Eastern US
Wildlife value
The fruit of the persimmon is a food source for birds, small mammals, white-tailed deer, foxes, raccoons, and black bears. Deer browse the leaves and twigs.
Attracts
Bees; Songbirds
Play value
Edible fruit; Fragrance; Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit; Leaves
Harvest time
Fall; Winter
Fruit type
Berry

Edibility

Persimmon leaves can be used to make teas. Fruits can be dried, eaten off the tree and used to make jelly, jam, pie and ice cream. The fruit is astringent when non-ripe.

Uses (ethnobotany)

The wood is extremely hard and has been used to make golf club heads, billiard cues and shoelaces.

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Meadow; Naturalized Area
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Children's Garden; Edible Garden; Nighttime Garden; Pollinator Garden; Rain Garden; Winter Garden
Design feature
Flowering Tree; Specimen
Garden tags
#deciduous #drought tolerant #edible fruits #full sun tolerant #partial shade tolerant #bee friendly #fall interest #wind tolerant #fire low flammability #deer browsing plant #interesting bark #food source fall #edible garden #edible leaves #orange fruits #edible tree #messy #messy fruits #deer resistant #wildlife friendly #poor soil tolerant #bat friendly #moth friendly
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Messy
Resistant to
Deer
Particularly resistant to
Resistant to fire in landscape. This tree is drought tolerant, tolerates occasionally dry soil and air polution. Wind resistant.
Fire risk
low flammability

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.

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