American Persimmons (Diospyros virginiana)

The American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) was a staple of Native American diets, but it is much misunderstood by modern American consumers, who mainly know them as mouth puckering and distasteful.  And if they are picked before peak, soft ripeness, they are indeed an unforgettable shock, being very dry and unpleasant to taste.  This repels critters, too, though, as they also dislike the astringency in the unripe fruit.

The word persimmon itself is an Anglicism of the Native American word “putcheman” from the Algonquin language.  This is also the origina of the word “possum”, and to this day sometimes persimmon goes by the name “possum wood”.  Possums do indeed love the fruit when it is ripe and sometimes can be found in the boughs of the trees, and maybe that is the natural historical connection in these two words, possum and persimmon.

The American persimmons grown at the Orchard range from forest selected varieties to first- and second-generation crosses of these selections from the breeding efforts of James Claypool, Jerry Lehmann, John Hershey, Donald E. Compton, and Clifford England.  (A special thanks to Cliff for his generous sharing of knowledge.)

Growers possessing cultivars that are not shown here are encouraged to reach out to AFFN with germplasm/scions. Please also reach out to us, if you have corrections to offer on cultivar names, or redundancies of which you are aware among the cultivars.  Clarifying confusion in names, which has arisen through the years, is also a goal of AFFN.

American Persimmon Trees at the AFFN Orchard – last updated February 2026:

• Diospyros virginiana – 60 Chromosome Weeping
• Diospyros virginiana – Bald Eagle
• Diospyros virginiana – Bradley Street
• Diospyros virginiana – Briggs
• Diospyros virginiana – Brittain’s Blue
• Diospyros virginiana – Buck Bait
• Diospyros virginiana – Buck Kandy
• Diospyros virginiana – Burlington [DV]
• Diospyros virginiana – California
• Diospyros virginiana – Campbell (NC-10)
• Diospyros virginiana – Campbell (NC-21) “Super Sweet”
• Diospyros virginiana – Carl Myer Homestead “East”
• Diospyros virginiana – Carl Myer Homestead “North”
• Diospyros virginiana – Carl Myer Homestead “South”
• Diospyros virginiana – Carl Myer Homestead “West”
• Diospyros virginiana – Cascade [DV]
• Diospyros virginiana – Catawba Treasure
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (A-10) “Williams Male”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (A-102) “All at Once”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (A-104) “Beaver”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (A-118) “Elmo”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (A-14)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (A-20) “Juhl”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (A-25)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (A-3)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (A-33) “Prairie Sun”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (A-42) “Lockwood Seedless”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (A-50) “Weber”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (A-70) “Morris Burton”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (A-72) “Mitchellena”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (A-76) “Yates”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (B-101)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (B-109)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (B-125)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (B-17) “Garretson”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (B-56) “Excellant” (sic)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (B-59)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (B-63) “Early Golden”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (B-65) “Gs Seedling”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (B-67) “Early Golden”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (B-69) “Early Golden”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (B-99) “Killen”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (C-10) “George”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (C-100) “Mount Vernon”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (C-12) “G2 Male”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (C-120) “Claypool”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (C-26) “Florence”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (C-29)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (C-38) “Fehrman Seedless”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (C-4) “Williams”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (C-42) “Gehron Seedless”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (C-46) “Owens Seedless”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (C-48) “Kreider”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (C-56) “Marion”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (C-58) “Miller”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (C-60) “Golden Supreme”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (C-66) “Mike”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (C-70) “Ruby”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (C-82)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (D-1)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (D-115)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (D-124)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (D-128) “Dollywood”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (D-56)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (E-1) “F-100”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (E-21)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (E-47) “John Rick”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (E-65) “John Rick”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (F-1) “Martin Mohler Seedless”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (F-100) “Sugar Daddy”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (F-128)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (F-25) “Prairie Gem”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (F-26)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (F-34)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (F-56)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (F-7)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (F-90)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (G-116)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (G-23) “Uncle Larry”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (G-26) “Melon”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (G-29)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (G-36)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (G-44)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (G-6)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (H-118) “Early Jewel”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (H-120) “Claypool”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (H-128)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (H-17)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (H-18)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (H-5)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (H-55A) “Prairie Dawn”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (H-6)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (H-63A) “Paradise”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (H-69A) “Osage” [DV]
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (I-1) “Table Grove Garretson”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (I-115)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (I-5)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (I-60)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (I-66)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (I-77A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (I-85)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (I-86)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (I-90A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (I-94) “Valeene Beauty”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (I-94A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (I-96A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (J-127)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (J-129)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (J-19)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (J-2)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (J-20A) “Weston”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (J-28)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (J-40)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (J-59)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (J-62)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (J-73)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (J-74)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (J-82)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (J-83)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (J-91A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (K-125)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (K-128)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (K-19)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (K-25A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (K-48)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (K-54A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (K-6)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (K-64)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (K-64A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (K-68)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (K-69)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (K-79A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (K-90A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (K-92) “Carmel – Garretson”
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (L-10)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (L-102A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (L-104)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (L-104A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (L-106)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (L-116)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (L-128)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (L-128A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (L-129A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (L-32)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (L-65)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (L-72)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (L-89)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (L-92)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (L-93)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (L-93A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (L-96A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (L-98)
• Diospyros virginiana – Contessa
• Diospyros virginiana – Craggs
• Diospyros virginiana – Danielle’s Best
• Diospyros virginiana – David Lavergne
• Diospyros virginiana – DEC “Autumn 2”
• Diospyros virginiana – DEC “Earliest”
• Diospyros virginiana – DEC “Goliath”
• Diospyros virginiana – DEC “Improved Geneva Red”
• Diospyros virginiana – DEC “King Krimson”
• Diospyros virginiana – DEC “Large Morris Burton”
• Diospyros virginiana – DEC “Money Maker”
• Diospyros virginiana – DEC “Ontos the Elder”
• Diospyros virginiana – DEC “Sugar Hill”
• Diospyros virginiana – DEC “Valeene Queen”
• Diospyros virginiana – DEC “Wannabe #1”
• Diospyros virginiana – DEC “Wannabe #2”
• Diospyros virginiana – DEC “Wannabe #3”
• Diospyros virginiana – Dymple Green
• Diospyros virginiana – Early Golden
• Diospyros virginiana – Early Santa
• Diospyros virginiana – England “Claypool Early Golden”
• Diospyros virginiana – England (R11-T4) “Zip”
• Diospyros virginiana – England (R12-T1) “Jon’s Pride”
• Diospyros virginiana – England (R12-T5) “Double Zip”
• Diospyros virginiana – England’s Red
• Diospyros virginiana – Ennis Seedless
• Diospyros virginiana – Evelyn
• Diospyros virginiana – Ferver “DL31 x R11T3”
• Diospyros virginiana – Full Draw
• Diospyros virginiana – Garretson
• Diospyros virginiana – Gateway
• Diospyros virginiana – Gem
• Diospyros virginiana – Geneva Long
• Diospyros virginiana – Geneva Pumpkin
• Diospyros virginiana – Geneva Red
• Diospyros virginiana – Gordon “Fruiting Male”
• Diospyros virginiana – Gordon “Hickory Grove Big Tree”
• Diospyros virginiana – Gordon “Road Edge Pool”
• Diospyros virginiana – Gordon “Yellow Fruit”
• Diospyros virginiana – H-55A x H-69A
• Diospyros virginiana – Halloween
• Diospyros virginiana – Harrell “Grain Bin”
• Diospyros virginiana – Harrell “Kathy”
• Diospyros virginiana – Hershey “Buzzy’s Favorite”
• Diospyros virginiana – Hershey “Dale’s Favorite”
• Diospyros virginiana – Hershey “Downingtown Middle – Fascinated”
• Diospyros virginiana – Hershey “Downingtown Woodbine Sucker”
• Diospyros virginiana – Hershey “Hershey’s Blue”
• Diospyros virginiana – Hershey “Shoto”
• Diospyros virginiana – Hershey (DW R1-T5) “Gordon M/F”
• Diospyros virginiana – Iowa Arboretum South (female)
• Diospyros virginiana – Jenny’s Early
• Diospyros virginiana – Joe’s Bourbon Ball
• Diospyros virginiana – John Rick
• Diospyros virginiana – Josephine
• Diospyros virginiana – Keener [DV]
• Diospyros virginiana – Kewanna
• Diospyros virginiana – Killen
• Diospyros virginiana – Kitch
• Diospyros virginiana – Knightsville
• Diospyros virginiana – Korp
• Diospyros virginiana – KY Arboretum “Early Golden”
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (100-29) “Deer Magnet”
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (100-42) “Marilynn”
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (100-43)
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (100-45)
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (100-46) “Lehman’s Delight” [DV]
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (100-53)
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (100-56)
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (120-21) “Boaz”
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (150-7.2) “Knightsville SDL”
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (200-10) “Golden Gem”
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (200-16) “Payton”
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (400-5)
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (425-17) “Breadroll”
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (450-19)
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (450-26)
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (450-5)
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (C-2) “Bypass”
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (Q-5) “Bristol”
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (U-20A) “Celebrity”
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (U-33)
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (WS 14-3N)
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (WS 19-1 North)
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (WS 19-1 South)
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (WS 19-10) “Deer Candy”
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (WS 19-3)
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (WS 8-10) “Barbara’s Blush”
• Diospyros virginiana – MacKenzie (6-4)
• Diospyros virginiana – MacKenzie Corner
• Diospyros virginiana – MacKenzie Middle
• Diospyros virginiana – Madison
• Diospyros virginiana – Magic Fountain Weeping (JF5)
• Diospyros virginiana – McCampbell
• Diospyros virginiana – Meader
• Diospyros virginiana – Meyer’s Seedless
• Diospyros virginiana – Miller
• Diospyros virginiana – Mitchell “Library”
• Diospyros virginiana – Mitchell “Spring Mills State Park”
• Diospyros virginiana – Mitchell “Watertower”
• Diospyros virginiana – Mohler
• Diospyros virginiana – Monster
• Diospyros virginiana – Morris Burton
• Diospyros virginiana – Morris Burton (from Talbot’s)
• Diospyros virginiana – Mosier
• Diospyros virginiana – Munich
• Diospyros virginiana – Munick
• Diospyros virginiana – NTN Buzz
• Diospyros virginiana – Orleans “Liberty Street”
• Diospyros virginiana – Pfiffer
• Diospyros virginiana – Pieper
• Diospyros virginiana – Pierce “KY Thanksgiving”
• Diospyros virginiana – Prok
• Diospyros virginiana – Rocky River
• Diospyros virginiana – Ruby
• Diospyros virginiana – Sonnemann “Best #1 – Hunchback”
• Diospyros virginiana – Sonnemann “Best #2 – Hazelnut thicket”
• Diospyros virginiana – Sonnemann “Best #3 – Standing Tall”
• Diospyros virginiana – Sonnemann “Earliest”
• Diospyros virginiana – Sonnemann “Latest”
• Diospyros virginiana – Sonnemann “Tinker Farm – Trio North”
• Diospyros virginiana – Sonnemann “Tinker Farm – Trio South”
• Diospyros virginiana – Sugar Bear
• Diospyros virginiana – Sugar Drop
• Diospyros virginiana – Susie’s Special
• Diospyros virginiana – Szukis
• Diospyros virginiana – Szukis (heavy fruiting)
• Diospyros virginiana – Tatum
• Diospyros virginiana – Tin Cup
• Diospyros virginiana – Union Star
• Diospyros virginiana – Wabash [DV]
• Diospyros virginiana – Weber
• Diospyros virginiana – Weber Blue
• Diospyros virginiana – Wolverine (black persimmon)
• Diospyros virginiana – Wonderful
• Diospyros virginiana – Yates

Following American Persimmon plants could not yet be aquired:

• Diospyros virginiana – Ami
• Diospyros virginiana – Butterscotch Candy
• Diospyros virginiana – Cataract
• Diospyros virginiana – Cemetary
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (A-21)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (C-110)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (C-80)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (F-99)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (G-8)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (G-9)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (H-108)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (H-67)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (H-69)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (H-91A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (H-94A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (I-56)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (I-84A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (I-97)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (J-5)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (J-53A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (J-70)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (K-126A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (K-43A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (K-44)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (K-44A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (K-89A)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (L-109)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (L-44)
• Diospyros virginiana – Claypool (L-44A)
• Diospyros virginiana – DEC “Brace #1”
• Diospyros virginiana – DEC “Brace #2”
• Diospyros virginiana – DEC “Seedless”
• Diospyros virginiana – Etter #1
• Diospyros virginiana – Etter #2
• Diospyros virginiana – Etter #3
• Diospyros virginiana – Etter #4
• Diospyros virginiana – Etter #5
• Diospyros virginiana – Etter #6
• Diospyros virginiana – Etter #7
• Diospyros virginiana – Etter #8
• Diospyros virginiana – Etter #9
• Diospyros virginiana – Glidewell
• Diospyros virginiana – Gordon
• Diospyros virginiana – Griffith II
• Diospyros virginiana – H-63A x F-79A
• Diospyros virginiana – Hershey “Forsythia”
• Diospyros virginiana – Hershey “Hershey’s Oldest”
• Diospyros virginiana – Hess
• Diospyros virginiana – Jasmine
• Diospyros virginiana – Juicyfruit
• Diospyros virginiana – Krutch
• Diospyros virginiana – Lehman (100-47)
• Diospyros virginiana – Miles
• Diospyros virginiana – Mood Indigo
• Diospyros virginiana – Needmore “Early Golden”
• Diospyros virginiana – Pipher
• Diospyros virginiana – Rich Tooie
• Diospyros virginiana – Richards
• Diospyros virginiana – SAA Pieper
• Diospyros virginiana – SFES Perfect Flower
• Diospyros virginiana – Slate
• Diospyros virginiana – Sweet Lent
• Diospyros virginiana – Turkey Lake
• Diospyros virginiana – Wapello Female
• Diospyros virginiana – Wapello Male
• Diospyros virginiana – Woolbright