# Japanese Persimmon (*Diospyros kaki*) The Japanese Persimmon is a sweet fruit tree that grows in warm places. Its bright orange fruits are tasty and can be eaten fresh or dried. The tree has beautiful leaves that turn yellow in the fall! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Urban areas - **Also known as:** Kaki, Sharon Fruit ![Japanese Persimmon](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Kaki_20041002.jpg&width=800) Photo: Sphl, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kaki_20041002.jpg) ## Appearance The Japanese Persimmon is a medium-sized tree with a rounded crown and dark, furrowed bark. It has glossy, dark green leaves that turn vibrant shades of orange, red, and yellow in autumn. Its most striking feature is the large, round to conical, bright orange fruit that often hangs on the branches after the leaves have fallen. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Ericales - **Family:** Ebenaceae - **Genus:** Diospyros ## Interesting facts - Dried persimmons, called hoshigaki, look like sugary, frosted jewels! - Some persimmons need a frost to become super sweet and soft! - The wood from this tree is very strong and sometimes used for golf clubs! - Unripe persimmons can make your mouth feel very fuzzy, it's a wild sensation! ## Special abilities - **Astringency Shield:** Japanese Persimmon can produce tannins that make unripe fruit taste very bitter, protecting it from being eaten too early. - **Sweetness Transformer:** Its fruit can transform from super tart to wonderfully sweet as it ripens, sometimes needing a chill to finish. - **Late Season Feast:** Japanese Persimmon fruit ripens in autumn and often hangs on the tree into winter, providing a late food source. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 600-900 cm - **Spread:** 450-750 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late_spring - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Honey bees visit flowers to aid in fruit production. - **Eats:** [eastern gray squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-gray-squirrel) (*Sciurus carolinensis*) — Squirrels enjoy eating the sweet, ripe persimmon fruit. - **Eats:** [American crow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-crow) (*Corvus brachyrhynchos*) — Crows and other birds feed on the soft, fallen fruit. ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Fruit Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-tree): A fruit tree is a perennial tree that produces fruit, which is edible to humans or animals. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Fall Color](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fall-color): Fall color refers to the seasonal change in foliage pigmentation, primarily in deciduous plants, displaying vibrant hues. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always wash fruits before eating them to keep them clean and safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Japanese Persimmon? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Japanese Persimmon? 600-900 cm ### How wide does Japanese Persimmon spread? 450-750 cm ### How big are the flowers on Japanese Persimmon? 1-2 cm ### When does Japanese Persimmon bloom? Late_spring ### Is Japanese Persimmon edible? Yes ### Is Japanese Persimmon toxic? None ### What is Japanese Persimmon's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Yamanashi Fuefukigawa Fruit Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/yamanashi-fuefukigawa-fruit-park) — Chubu, JP · Park - [Hamayama Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hamayama-park) — Chugoku, JP · Park ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Japanese Persimmon: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/japanese-persimmon)