Persimmon Tree Varieties: Choosing the Best One for Your Climate

Choosing a persimmon variety is the single most consequential decision you’ll make in growing these trees. The right variety for your climate will produce fruit reliably for decades with minimal intervention. The wrong one will struggle, fruit poorly, or die in its first hard winter.

There are two main species in cultivation — Asian persimmon (Diospyros kaki) and American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) — and dozens of named cultivars within each. This guide covers the most proven, widely available varieties and matches them to the climates where they actually perform.

For a comparison of the two species, see our American persimmons vs. Asian persimmons overview.

Understanding the Two Species

Asian Persimmon (Diospyros kaki)

The persimmons you see in grocery stores are almost always Asian varieties. They produce large, attractive fruit with reliable sweetness. Most cultivars are hardy to about USDA Zone 7 (0°F to 10°F), though some push into Zone 6 with protection. They thrive in climates with long, warm summers — California, the Southeast, the Pacific Northwest, and similar regions worldwide.

Asian persimmons are further divided into astringent and non-astringent types. Astringent varieties (like Hachiya) must fully ripen to be edible. Non-astringent varieties (like Fuyu) can be eaten firm, like an apple.

American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)

Native to the eastern United States, these trees are dramatically more cold-hardy — surviving to Zone 4 (-30°F) in some cultivars. The fruit is smaller (1-2 inches vs. 3-4 inches for Asian types) but intensely flavored, with rich, complex sweetness that fans consider superior for baking and preserves. All American persimmons are astringent until fully ripe.

American persimmons are also used as rootstock for grafted Asian varieties, improving cold hardiness and disease resistance.

Best Asian Persimmon Varieties

Fuyu (Jiro)

• Type: Non-astringent
• Fruit: Medium-large, flat-bottomed, bright orange
• Zones: 7-10
• Why grow it: The most popular persimmon in America for good reason. Eat firm off the tree or let it soften. Heavy, reliable producer. Self-fruitful (no pollinator needed). The fruit people are thinking of when they picture “a persimmon you eat like an apple.”
• Notes: Several sub-types exist — ‘Giant Fuyu’ (Gosho) produces notably larger fruit; ‘Matsumoto Wase Fuyu’ ripens earlier. Standard Fuyu ripens mid-to-late November in most areas.

Hachiya

• Type: Astringent
• Fruit: Large, acorn-shaped, deep orange-red
• Zones: 7-10
• Why grow it: The definitive baking persimmon. The soft, ripe pulp is the foundation of persimmon bread, persimmon pudding, and persimmon cookies. Extremely productive — a mature tree can yield 300-400 pounds of fruit per year.
• Notes: Must be fully soft before eating. The tree is vigorous, upright-growing, and self-fruitful. The most widely grown astringent variety in California.

Jiro

• Type: Non-astringent
• Fruit: Medium-large, flat, slightly square-shouldered
• Zones: 7-10
• Why grow it: Similar to Fuyu but often considered to have slightly richer flavor. Less widely available but worth seeking out. Some consider it the best-tasting non-astringent variety.
• Notes: Tends to produce fruit in alternate years (heavy crop one year, light the next) unless thinned.

Saijo

• Type: Astringent
• Fruit: Small-medium, elongated, golden-orange
• Zones: 6-9
• Why grow it: One of the hardiest Asian varieties, tolerating temperatures down to about -10°F with established trees. The name means “the very best” in Japanese, and many growers agree — the ripe fruit has an exceptionally sweet, rich flavor described as caramel-like. Excellent for drying.
• Notes: Self-fruitful. Compact growth habit suits smaller gardens. Ripens early (October in most zones). A top pick for Zone 6 growers who want an Asian variety.

Tamopan

• Type: Astringent
• Fruit: Very large (up to 4 inches), distinctively flat with a ring-like constriction
• Zones: 7-10
• Why grow it: Novelty and size. Produces some of the largest persimmon fruit available. The unusual shape makes it a conversation piece. Flavor is good when fully ripe — sweet and mild.
• Notes: Needs a long, warm growing season. Not the best choice for marginal climates. The odd shape makes it harder to dry or process.

Chocolate (Tsurunoko)

• Type: Non-astringent (when pollinated) / Astringent (seedless)
• Fruit: Medium, round-oblong, with dark brown flesh when seeded
• Zones: 7-10
• Why grow it: The flesh develops a cinnamon-brown color and distinctly spiced, complex flavor when the fruit contains seeds (which requires pollination). One of the most interesting-flavored persimmons available.
• Notes: Plant with a pollinator variety for the best results. Without pollination, fruit is seedless, lighter in color, and astringent until soft-ripe.

Izu

• Type: Non-astringent
• Fruit: Medium, round, orange
• Zones: 7-10
• Why grow it: Earliest ripening non-astringent variety — fruit is ready in September or early October. If you want fresh persimmons before anyone else in the neighborhood, this is your tree. Compact growth habit.
• Notes: Self-fruitful. Fruit is smaller than Fuyu but flavor is comparable. Good for regions with shorter growing seasons.

Best American Persimmon Varieties

Prok

• Type: Astringent (all American varieties are)
• Fruit: Medium for an American persimmon (1.5-2 inches), round, orange
• Zones: 5-9
• Why grow it: Widely considered the best all-around American persimmon cultivar. Heavy, consistent producer. Fruit quality is excellent — very sweet, smooth-textured, with the complex wild flavor that makes American persimmons special. Self-fruitful.
• Notes: Discovered in Virginia. Ripens in mid-autumn. A benchmark variety that most American persimmon enthusiasts recommend as a first tree.

Meader

• Type: Astringent
• Fruit: Small-medium, round, orange
• Zones: 4-8
• Why grow it: Extreme cold hardiness — reliably produces fruit in Zone 5 and survives (with some dieback) into Zone 4. Developed in New Hampshire specifically for northern climates. Self-fruitful.
• Notes: Fruit ripens early enough to beat first frost in short-season areas. The go-to recommendation for anyone in the northern tier of states who wants to grow persimmons.

Yates

• Type: Astringent
• Fruit: Medium, round, deep orange
• Zones: 5-9
• Why grow it: Large fruit for an American persimmon and superb flavor — sweet, rich, and complex. Productive and reliable. Widely available from specialty nurseries.
• Notes: Self-fruitful. A favorite for making persimmon pulp for baking and preserves.

Early Golden

• Type: Astringent
• Fruit: Small-medium, golden-orange
• Zones: 5-9
• Why grow it: As the name suggests, this one ripens early — critical for northern growers who need fruit to mature before hard frost. Sweet, good-quality fruit.
• Notes: Self-fruitful. Compact size works in smaller yards.

Szukis

• Type: Astringent
• Fruit: Medium, round
• Zones: 4-8
• Why grow it: Another extremely cold-hardy cultivar, developed in Illinois. Reliable fruiting in Zone 5 with reports of survival in Zone 4. Good flavor.
• Notes: Less widely available than Meader or Prok but worth seeking out if you’re in a cold climate.

Hybrid Varieties

Crosses between Asian and American persimmons aim to combine the large fruit size of D. kaki with the cold hardiness of D. virginiana.

Rosseyanka

• Type: Astringent
• Fruit: Medium-large, flat-round
• Zones: 5-9
• Why grow it: The most successful Asian-American hybrid. Hardy to about -15°F, with fruit noticeably larger and sweeter than most American cultivars. Developed in Ukraine.
• Notes: Self-fruitful. Hard to find commercially but increasingly available from specialty nurseries. If you’re in Zone 6 and want larger fruit than American types offer, this is the one.

Nikita’s Gift

• Type: Non-astringent (partially)
• Fruit: Medium, orange-red
• Zones: 6-9
• Why grow it: Another Ukrainian hybrid with better cold hardiness than pure Asian varieties. Fruit can be eaten when still slightly firm, unusual for a cold-hardy persimmon. Good flavor.
• Notes: Relatively new to the American market. Worth trialing in Zone 6.

Dwarf and Small-Space Options

Standard persimmon trees reach 25-40 feet — too large for many suburban yards. Several options exist for smaller spaces:

• Izu — Naturally compact, reaching 10-15 feet. The best true dwarf option.
• Saijo — Moderate growth, easily kept to 12-15 feet with annual pruning.
• Fuyu on dwarfing rootstock — Some nurseries sell Fuyu grafted onto dwarfing rootstock, producing trees that stay 8-12 feet. Availability varies.
• Container growing — Any variety can be grown in a large container (20+ gallons) for several years, though fruit production will be limited. Dwarf varieties handle container life best.
• Espalier — Persimmons respond well to espalier training against a south-facing wall. This also provides extra warmth for marginal climates.

Choosing by Climate

Climate	Best Varieties
Hot, dry (Zones 9-10) — California inland, desert Southwest	Fuyu, Hachiya, Chocolate, Tamopan
Warm, humid (Zones 7-9) — Southeast US	Fuyu, Hachiya, Saijo, Prok, Yates
Mild maritime (Zones 8-9) — Pacific Northwest, coastal California	Fuyu, Hachiya, Jiro, Saijo
Transitional (Zone 6-7) — Mid-Atlantic, upper South	Saijo, Prok, Yates, Rosseyanka, Nikita’s Gift
Cold (Zone 5) — Midwest, northern states	Meader, Prok, Yates, Early Golden, Szukis
Very cold (Zone 4) — Minnesota, northern plains	Meader, Szukis (American varieties only)

Where to Buy

Specialty fruit tree nurseries offer the best selection. Standard garden centers typically carry only Fuyu and Hachiya (if any). Look for:

• One Green World (Portland, OR) — excellent Asian and hybrid selection
• Stark Bro’s — widely available American and Asian varieties
• Rolling River Nursery — unusual Asian varieties
• England’s Orchard and Nursery — American persimmon specialists
• Burnt Ridge Nursery — good hybrid selection

Buy from a nursery in a similar climate to yours when possible. A tree grown in a Zone 8 nursery may struggle to acclimate to Zone 5, even if the variety is theoretically hardy there.

For guidance on planting and establishing your new tree, see our how to grow persimmon trees guide. And if you’re feeling ambitious, you can even start a persimmon tree from seed — though grafted named varieties will produce fruit years sooner and with predictable quality.