How to Grow a Persimmon Tree from Seed

Growing a persimmon tree from seed is one of the most straightforward fruit trees to start from scratch. The seeds germinate reliably, the seedlings are vigorous, and the trees are tough once established. There’s a catch — seed-grown trees take 5 to 7 years to fruit, sometimes longer, and the fruit quality is unpredictable because seedlings don’t grow true to the parent. But if you’re patient, or if you plan to use your seedling as rootstock for grafting, starting from seed is free, educational, and deeply satisfying.

This guide covers both American persimmons (Diospyros virginiana) and Asian persimmons (Diospyros kaki). The process is nearly identical for both species, with a few differences noted along the way.

Why Grow from Seed?

There are a few good reasons to start a persimmon tree from seed rather than buying a grafted nursery tree:

Cost. Seeds are free. If you eat persimmons, you have seeds. A grafted persimmon tree from a nursery costs $30-$60 or more.

Rootstock. American persimmon seedlings are the standard rootstock for grafting improved varieties of both American and Asian persimmons. Growing your own rootstock saves significant money if you plan to graft.

Education. There’s something uniquely rewarding about growing a tree from seed. You watch the entire process — germination, first leaves, first year’s growth. Children especially find this fascinating.

Genetic diversity. Every seed-grown tree is genetically unique. There’s a small chance your seedling produces exceptional fruit — and that’s how new varieties are discovered. Most of the named American persimmon varieties started as chance seedlings that someone noticed.

Wildlife habitat. If you’re planting persimmons for wildlife (deer, birds, raccoons), fruit quality doesn’t matter much. Seed-grown trees produce abundant fruit that wildlife devours regardless of how it tastes to humans.

The Drawbacks

Be realistic about what you’re getting:

• Time to fruit: 5-7 years minimum for Asian persimmons, sometimes 7-10 for American. A grafted tree can fruit in 2-3 years.
• Unknown fruit quality: Seedling fruit ranges from excellent to mediocre. You won’t know for years.
• Sex uncertainty: Persimmon trees are typically dioecious (male or female). Seedlings may turn out male and never produce fruit. Asian persimmons are more likely to be female or have perfect flowers; American persimmons are more strictly dioecious.
• Larger trees: Seedling trees are not dwarfed. They grow on their own roots and can become large — 30-60 feet for American persimmons, 20-30 feet for Asian.

None of these are deal-breakers, but know what you’re signing up for.

Step 1: Collecting and Selecting Seeds

From Fresh Fruit

The best seeds come from fully ripe fruit. For Asian persimmons (Hachiya or similar), the fruit should be completely soft — jelly-like, translucent, almost falling apart. For American persimmons, collect fruit that has fallen from the tree or pulls free with no resistance. Our guide on how to pick ripe persimmons covers the details.

Cut the fruit open and remove the seeds. Persimmon seeds are flat, oblong, dark brown, and about the size of a watermelon seed (American) or a small lima bean (Asian). A single fruit may contain 0-8 seeds, depending on variety and pollination.

Seed viability tips:

• Choose large, plump, fully developed seeds. Discard flat, thin, or shriveled seeds — they’re likely not viable.
• Seeds from wild American persimmons tend to have higher germination rates than seeds from commercial Asian varieties (some commercial cultivars are seedless or nearly so).
• Fresh seeds germinate better than dried ones. Process seeds soon after eating the fruit.

Cleaning the Seeds

Wash seeds thoroughly to remove all fruit pulp. Persimmon pulp contains germination inhibitors — if you leave pulp on the seeds, germination rates drop significantly. Rub seeds between your fingers under running water until they’re completely clean. Some growers soak seeds in water for 24 hours, changing the water twice, to leach out any remaining inhibitors.

Dry the seeds briefly on a paper towel — just enough to handle them. Don’t let them dry out completely, as this reduces viability.

Step 2: Cold Stratification

This is the critical step that most beginners skip, and the reason their seeds never germinate.

Persimmon seeds have embryo dormancy. In nature, the fruit falls in autumn, the seeds sit through winter in cold, moist soil, and germinate in spring. The cold period breaks dormancy by allowing chemical changes inside the seed that permit germination. Without it, the seeds sit in your pot indefinitely, doing nothing.

How to Stratify Persimmon Seeds

1. Moisten a handful of peat moss, vermiculite, or sand. The medium should be damp but not dripping — squeeze out excess water. Think “wrung-out sponge” moisture level.

2. Place seeds in the moist medium inside a zip-top plastic bag. Use a sandwich-size bag. Label it with the date and seed type. Leave the bag slightly open or poke a few tiny holes — seeds need some air exchange.

3. Refrigerate for 60-90 days. Place the bag in the back of your refrigerator (not the freezer). Temperature should be 33-40F (1-4C). The vegetable crisper drawer works well.

4. Check weekly. Open the bag, check for mold (remove any moldy seeds), and make sure the medium is still moist. Add a few drops of water if it’s drying out.

Timing: If you collect seeds in October-November, start stratification immediately. After 60-90 days, you’ll be planting in January-March, which aligns well with indoor seed starting.

Shortcut — outdoor stratification: You can also plant seeds directly in pots, bury the pots in the ground or leave them outdoors in a sheltered spot, and let winter do the work. This is less controlled but perfectly effective if you live in a climate with reliably cold winters (USDA zone 7 or colder). Protect from squirrels with hardware cloth over the top of the pot.

Can You Skip Stratification?

Sometimes persimmon seeds germinate without cold treatment, especially if the fruit went through a freeze before you harvested it (frozen fruit essentially pre-stratifies the seeds). But germination rates without stratification are unreliable — maybe 10-20% vs 70-90% with proper cold treatment. Don’t skip it.

Step 3: Germination and Planting

After stratification, your seeds are ready to plant. You have two approaches:

Option A: Start Indoors in Pots

Pot size: Use deep pots — at least 8 inches deep. Persimmon seedlings develop a long taproot quickly, and shallow pots restrict it. Tree bands (tall, narrow pots) or cut-down milk cartons work well.

Soil mix: Standard seed-starting mix, or a blend of 50% potting soil and 50% perlite. Good drainage is essential — persimmon seeds rot in waterlogged soil.

Planting depth: 1 inch deep, laid flat on their side. Water thoroughly after planting.

Temperature: 70-80F (21-27C) is ideal for germination. A heat mat under the pots speeds things up considerably. At room temperature, expect germination in 3-6 weeks. With bottom heat, sometimes as fast as 2 weeks.

Light: Seeds don’t need light to germinate, but seedlings need strong light immediately after emerging. Place pots in your brightest window or under grow lights as soon as you see green.

Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist but not wet. Check daily. The top half inch can dry between waterings, but don’t let the pot dry out completely.

Option B: Direct Sow Outdoors

After stratification (or after natural winter cold treatment), plant seeds directly in the ground in spring after the last frost:

• Choose a spot with full sun and well-drained soil
• Plant 1 inch deep
• Space seeds 4-6 inches apart (you’ll thin or transplant later)
• Mark the spot clearly — persimmon seedlings emerge late and grow slowly at first. You’ll forget where you planted them.
• Water regularly through the first summer

Direct-sown seedlings develop stronger root systems than pot-grown ones, but you have less control over conditions and lose some to pests, drought, and forgetfulness.

Step 4: Caring for Seedlings

First Weeks

Persimmon seedlings emerge with two small, rounded cotyledons (seed leaves), followed by the first true leaves which are pointed and glossy. Growth is slow at first — don’t panic if your seedling seems to stall for a few weeks after emerging.

Common problem: The seed coat sometimes clings to the cotyledons, trapping them. If this happens, mist the stuck seed coat with water to soften it, then gently work it off with your fingers. Don’t force it — torn cotyledons aren’t the end of the world, but intact ones give the seedling a better start.

First Year Growth

Expect 6-18 inches of growth in the first year, depending on conditions. Pot-grown seedlings on the lower end, ground-planted ones with good conditions on the higher end.

Watering: Regular water is important the first year. Persimmon trees are drought-tolerant once established, but seedlings need consistent moisture.

Fertilizer: Go easy. A dilute liquid fertilizer (half-strength) once a month during the growing season is plenty. Too much nitrogen produces leggy, weak growth.

Hardening off: If you started seeds indoors, harden off seedlings before transplanting outside. Start with an hour of outdoor shade, gradually increasing sun exposure and time over 7-10 days. Persimmon leaves sunburn easily when first exposed to direct sun.

The Taproot Issue

Persimmon trees develop an aggressive taproot — it’s often longer than the above-ground growth in the first year. This is great for drought tolerance but makes transplanting difficult. The tree “wants” to stay where it is.

If you’re growing in pots, transplant to the permanent location as early as possible — ideally by the end of the first growing season. The longer you wait, the more root-bound the tree becomes and the harder the transition.

When transplanting, try to keep the taproot intact. Dig a deep, narrow hole rather than a wide, shallow one. If the taproot is broken during transplanting, the tree will survive but growth will be set back significantly. This is why many experienced growers prefer direct sowing — it avoids the taproot problem entirely.

Step 5: Transplanting to a Permanent Location

Choose the permanent site carefully — you’re planting a tree that could live 75-100 years or more.

Sun: Full sun, at least 6-8 hours daily. Persimmons tolerate light shade but fruit production drops dramatically without full sun.

Soil: Persimmons are remarkably adaptable. They grow in clay, sand, loam, acidic, and slightly alkaline soils. The main requirement is drainage — they don’t tolerate standing water around the roots. If your soil stays soggy, plant on a mound or choose a sloped site.

Space: American persimmons can reach 30-60 feet tall and 25-35 feet wide at maturity. Asian persimmons are somewhat smaller at 20-30 feet. Give them room. Don’t plant within 20 feet of a building, driveway, or other trees (for American) or 15 feet (for Asian).

When to transplant: Early spring, while the tree is still dormant, is ideal. Fall transplanting also works in mild climates. Avoid transplanting during the heat of summer.

How to transplant:

1. Dig a hole twice the width and the same depth as the root ball (or deeper if the taproot extends beyond the pot).
2. Remove the seedling gently, keeping as much soil around the roots as possible.
3. Place in the hole. The soil line on the trunk should be at ground level — don’t bury the trunk.
4. Backfill with native soil (no amendments needed for persimmons).
5. Water deeply — several gallons.
6. Mulch with 3-4 inches of wood chips or leaves, keeping mulch a few inches away from the trunk.

For more detail on general persimmon tree care, see our full guide on how to grow persimmon trees.

What to Expect in Years 2-5

Year 2: The tree should put on 1-3 feet of growth. The trunk begins to thicken. Leaves get larger. The taproot drives deep into the soil, making the tree increasingly drought-tolerant.

Year 3: Growth accelerates. The tree may reach 6-10 feet total. Branching structure develops. Still no flowers or fruit — that’s normal.

Year 4-5: The tree looks like a real tree now. Growth rate peaks. This is often when you can first determine if the tree is male or female by flower structure. Male flowers are small clusters; female flowers are larger, solitary, and have a visible ovary at the base.

Year 5-7+: First fruit, if the tree is female (or has perfect flowers). The first crop is usually small and may not represent the tree’s ultimate fruit quality. Give it another year or two before judging.

Grafting Option

If you’ve grown a healthy seedling but don’t want to wait years for unknown fruit quality, grafting is the answer. Once your seedling’s trunk reaches pencil-thickness (usually year 2-3), you can graft a scion (a short branch) from a known variety onto it. The seedling becomes the rootstock, and the grafted variety produces fruit — often within 1-2 years after grafting.

American persimmon seedlings are the preferred rootstock for both American and Asian varieties, especially in cold climates. They’re hardier and more disease-resistant than Asian persimmon roots.

Common graft methods for persimmons include whip-and-tongue grafts (late winter, on dormant wood) and bark grafts (spring, when the bark slips). Grafting is a skill worth learning if you’re serious about persimmons — it turns a 7-year wait into a 3-year one.

Common Problems with Persimmon Seedlings

Seeds don’t germinate: Almost always a stratification issue. Either not enough cold time, or the seeds dried out before stratification. Try again with fresh seeds and a full 90-day cold treatment.

Seedlings die after transplanting: Taproot damage. Plant carefully and transplant early.

Slow growth: Normal for year one. Persimmon seedlings put most of their first-year energy into root development. Above-ground growth picks up dramatically in year two.

Leaf drop in summer: Overwatering or root rot. Cut back on water and ensure drainage is adequate.

Deer browse: Deer love persimmon leaves and young shoots. Protect seedlings with tree tubes or wire cages for the first few years.

For a deeper dive into persimmon tree issues, see our guide on persimmon tree problems.

Starting Your Persimmon Journey

Growing a persimmon tree from seed requires patience measured in years, not weeks. But the investment is minimal — a few seeds, some potting soil, a bag in the fridge — and the potential payoff is a tree that produces fruit for decades. Whether you’re growing rootstock for grafting, planting wildlife trees, or hoping to discover the next great seedling variety, starting from seed connects you to the entire life cycle of one of the world’s most beautiful and rewarding fruit trees.

Save seeds from the best persimmons you eat this fall. Stratify them over winter. Plant in spring. In five or seven years, you’ll be eating fruit from a tree you grew from nothing. That’s worth the wait.