Hachiya Persimmon Tree Size

About Oriental Persimmons

• Related to native American and Texas persimmons (D. virginiana and D. texana), oriental persimmons are native to China but widely grown throughout Korea and Japan as well. They've been grown in California since the mid-1800s. Oriental persimmons are classified as either astringent, meaning the fruit is very sour until it's soft and ripe, or as non-astringent, with fruit that's suitable for eating even when still crisp.

Hachiya Persimmons

• Hachiya is an astringent persimmon cultivar with glossy, reddish-orange fruit. The fruit is heart-shaped, with dark yellow flesh that's very sweet once it has ripened fully. The fruit can be picked when firm and allowed to ripen at room temperature until soft. The unripe fruit can also be frozen; when defrosted, the flesh will be soft and sweet. Hachiya trees produce very large fruit, more than 3 inches long and wide.

About The Trees

• Hachiya persimmon trees are deciduous fruit trees, hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture zone 7. The trees grow as much as 24 inches each year, eventually reaching 35 feet tall. Like all oriental persimmons, Hachiya grows at least as wide as it is tall, with downward-arching branches and leaves. In commercial groves, persimmons are often pruned shorter to facilitate harvest. Hachiya trees will produce for 50 to 150 years.

Culture

• Grow Hachiya persimmons in full sun for best fruit production and tree growth. They're resistant to oak root fungus, a common persimmon problem, but are susceptible to root rot in poorly-drained soil. Hachiya trees are adaptable to many soil types but prefer a pH of 6.0 to 6.5 for best growth. The trees are sensitive to salt injury so plant them where they'll be protected from road salts or sea spray. It's not unusual for persimmons such as Hachiya to just have heavy fruit crops in alternate years.