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American Persimmon

Diospyros virginiana

Found in dry forests and woodlands, longleaf pine sandhills, prairies, disturbed places, floodplain and moist forests, fencerows, roadsides, other disturbed areas. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

75
Strong

Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

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Height
30–80 feet
Spread
20–35 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 27.5 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

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At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
April to June
Fruiting season
Summer to winter

Recorded in 97 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 7

Prairies and grasslands

Barrens native plants returning after prescribed fire, September 2020
Barrens grassland after a prescribed fire. Shown: Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, a neighboring state.Barrens native plants returning after prescribed fire, September 2020, NPS Photo / Rick Olson, September 2020. Public domain. Source record.

Moist forests

Shortia beneath rhododendrons in mountain woodland
Regional / representative. Shown: Mountains of North and South Carolina; exact site not identified, a neighboring state.Shortia beneath rhododendrons in mountain woodland, Marian Ellis Rowan, 1901. Public domain. Source record.

Dry forests and woodlands

Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.

Forests and woodlands

Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.

Sandhills

Dry, deep-sand ridges with longleaf pine and turkey oak, kept open by fire.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 152 animals.

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

52CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Diospyros

  • Actias lunaLuna Moth
  • Citheronia regalisRegal Moth
  • Acronicta longaLong-Winged Dagger, Darkish Dagger
  • Adoneta spinuloidesPurple-Crested Slug
  • Antepione thisoariaVariable Antepione
  • Artace cribrariusDot-Lined White Moth
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Callophrys henriciHenry's Elfin
  • Callosamia prometheaPromethea Silkmoth, Promethea Moth
  • Catocala piatrixThe Penitent, Penitent Underwing
Show all 52
  • Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
  • Cenopis reticulatanaReticulated Fruitworm Moth
  • Clostera inclusaAngle-Lined Prominent, Poplar Tent Maker, Poplar Leaf-Tier
  • Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
  • Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
  • Euchlaena marginariaOchre Euchlaena
  • Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
  • Eumarozia malachitanaSculptured Moth
  • Eupsilia cirripaleaFranclemont's Sallow
  • Euzophera semifuneralisAmerican Plum Borer
  • Exelis pyrolariaFine-Lined Gray
  • Harrisimemna trisignataHarris's Three-Spot
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Hypocala andremonaHypocala Moth
  • Hypsoropha hormosSmall Necklace Moth
  • Hypsoropha monilisLarge Necklace Moth
  • Iridopsis defectariaBrown-Shaded Gray, Willow Looper
  • Iridopsis humariaSmall Purplish Gray
  • Iridopsis larvariaBent-Line Gray
  • Lochmaeus manteoVariable Oakleaf Caterpillar Moth
  • Megalopyge crispataBlack-Waved Flannel Moth, Crinkled Flannel Moth
  • Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
  • Metarranthis hypochrariaCommon Metarranthis
  • Monoleuca semifasciaPin-Striped Vermilion Slug
  • Natada nasoniNason's Slug Moth
  • Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
  • Oiketicus abbotiiAbbot's Bagworm Moth
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Phobetron pitheciumHag Moth, Monkey Slug
  • Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller
  • Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
  • Renia adspergillusSpeckled Renia
  • Sannina uroceriformisPersimmon Root Borer
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
  • Synanthedon exitiosaPeachtree Borer Moth, Western Peachtree Borer
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Tolype velledaLarge Tolype, Large Lappet Moth, Vellada Lappet Moth
  • Vanessa virginiensisAmerican Lady, American Painted Lady
  • Xylophanes tersaTersa Sphinx
  • Coptodisca diospyriella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
4BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Diospyros

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
4BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Diospyros

  • Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
  • Toxostoma curvirostreCurve-billed Thrasher
  • Toxostoma rufumBrown Thrasher
  • Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Flies 2
  • Syrphus americanus
  • Syrphus ribesii

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Adult butterflies / moths 1
  • Euphyes verna

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Ebenaceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
Yellow, green, orange or white
Growth rate
Slow
Growth habit
Single crown
Foliage color
Dark green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Winter

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “April to June” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Flower color · “Yellow, green, orange or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
  • Foliage color · “Dark green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit ends · “Winter” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth habit · “Single crown” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth rate · “Slow” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Hardiness · “Zones 4a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Height · “30–80 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
  • Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain differ)
  • Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain differ)
  • Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Spread · “20–35 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Conservation status

Virginia rankS5
Global rankG5
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources