Persimmon - Bare Root

WE DO SHIP BARE ROOT PLANTS. Shipping will be calculated and charged at payment.

Suited for USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 5b-9

Bare roots can be shipped March-May.

Bare root plants must be ordered in multiples of 25.

Our persimmon seedlings are 2-year-old trees measuring 24''-36''.

Will it thrive?

Stop! Before you buy these persimmon....are you sure they will thrive in your soil and climate? To be sure, you should prepare a Compass Report for your farm at CanopyCompass.com. 

Persimmon Descriptions

Persimmon Half-sibs

Half-sibs are trees grown from seed that come from a known mother tree that was pollinated by any number of unknown pollen donors. The cultivar names listed below refer to the mother tree.

Juhl

‘Juhl’ is one of the best pulping persimmons available, as it falls freely from the tree without its calyx and has a large flesh/seed ratio, often producing around 70% pulp. The fruit is large to very large and one of the earliest to ripen, usually in early-mid September in Indiana, but occasionally in late August. The fruit color is clear yellow with a slight red blush and heavy bloom. ‘Juhl’ has tender skin and flesh without astringency when ripe. She is a regular heavy bearer with an average of 10 fruits to the pound.

Hardiness: Proven in zone 5b
Color: Light/Clear Yellow
Size: Large 2″-2.5″
Weight: 1.5 oz per fruit
Flavor: Mild, delicious
Ripening for zone 5b: September 15th
Parentage: Unknown (probably a wild selection)

Morris Burton

‘Morris Burton’ was discovered by cows in Indiana. The Burtons had a large farm covered with persimmon trees, but all the animal trails led to this tree. When the owners tasted the fruit, they found out why it was so popular. The fruit is small and the flesh a beautiful red, but all who have tasted this one agree that it has the best flavor of all. J.C. McDaniels once said: “‘Morris Burton’ is the finest flavored persimmon under Illinois and Indiana conditions.” The sugar content is so high that you can cut the sugar added in recipes by 50% and get the required results. The foliage turns bright yellow in the fall and is very ornamental looking. It is precocious and bares large annual crops. 25 fruits to the pound.

Hardiness: Proven in zone 5b
Color: Dark orange
Size: Medium Small 1″-1.5″
Weight: .6oz/fruit
Flavor: Rich, Brown Sugar, Exceptional
Ripening for zone 5b: October 15th
Parentage: Wild selection

Prok

Thought by many to be an Asian/American hybrid due to the fruit size being 30% larger than other American cultivars, ‘Prok’ is a pure 90 chromosome American persimmon from the mother ‘Pipher.’ The name comes from the acronym for ‘Persimmon Ralph Kreider’ who originally found ‘Pipher’ in Northern Illinois. ‘Prok’ has the highest flesh to seed ratio of any pollinated 90 chromosome persimmon and at 8 fruits to the pound, is thought to be the most viable American cultivar for commercial production. For Northern climates, ‘Prok’ is one of the earliest dropping cultivars and is well known to ripen before winter sets in.

Hardiness: Proven in zone 5b
Color: Peach to light orange
Size: Very large 2.5″-3″
Weight: 2 oz per fruit
Flavor: Mild, delicious
Ripening window for zone 5b: September 20th-October 1.

Growing Recommendations

Instructions for Planting Bare-root Persimmon

When Your Trees Arrive

• Plant bare-root trees before they break dormancy (buds begin to swell or open). 

• Your trees will arrive wrapped in a plastic liner with the roots kept damp with moist sawdust. 

• Keeping trees cool before planting is essential. 40-50 degrees is a good target. 

• If you cannot plant them within a week or keep them cool, temporarily plant the bundle of trees in a bucket and cover it with a medium such as peat moss. 

Site Preparation

• If planting into existing sod, make sure you kill any tall fescue, orchard grass, brome, or alfalfa within 

• a few feet of the planting area. 

• A 3% or higher concentration of Roundup will work if applied in the morning of a warm sunny day (70F or higher if possible).  

• Re-seed the area with a turf-type mix of perennial ryegrass and fine-leaved fescue such as creeping red fescue, hard fescue, Chewings fescue, and medium Dutch white clover.

• For broadcast seedings, seed each grass at 10# per acre and clover at 1-2# per acre. 

• Space chestnuts at 20’ X 20’ - that is, 20’ apart within rows and rows at 20’ apart.  This will amount to just over 100 trees per acre.

• Lay out and flag the field beforehand, using different colored flags for alternate rows.  A square grid will be easier to mow in future years.

Planting

• Keep trees in the shade always, and keep the roots covered and moist.

• Take just a few trees at a time out of the bag and put them in a five-gallon bucket with enough water to cover the roots. Note: This is only at the planting time; do not leave the roots soaking/fully submerged for an extended period.

• Dig a hole that accommodates the root system without crowding, folding, or bending roots around the sides of the hole.  

• Prune off stringy, dangling roots that hang too far below the root mass. Hold the tree with one hand and backfill with the other as you plant.  Hold the tree with the root crown exactly even with the soil line.  The root crown/crown is the point at which the rusty bark color on the roots changes to the olive green color on the trunk.  

• You must not succumb to the temptation to plant the tree “just a little bit deeper.”  Planting any part of the trunk below the soil line will kill the tree.  

• Firm the soil around the tree first with your hand, then your toes—not your heel.

After Planting 

• If you have deer or rabbits in the area, apply a 5’ tall vented tree shelter and stakes (available at Canopy Nursery).  

• The tree shelter is a very good idea, even if you don’t have any varmints to worry about, as it will make the tree become established and bear nuts sooner than it will without a shelter. 

• Tree shelters will also save a great deal of pruning labor. Put tree shelters on the trees as soon as possible after planting.

• Water the trees the first year, any time you go more than a week or two without at least an inch of rain. 

• Weed control is very important. Only a trained professional should apply chemicals. Your local NRCS office should have an up-to-date list of licensed applicators.

• Using weed mats or landscape fabric cut into 3x3 foot squares is an excellent alternative to chemicals. 

• Use 6” turf staples to secure the corners and edges of the weed barrier.

• Keep the grass between the trees short, especially while shelters are on the trees.  Tall grass/weeds use a lot of moisture and provide a habitat for mice.  Mice nesting inside tree shelters almost always girdle the trees, which will kill them.

We recognize these factors may be overwhelming, but we are here to offer support and assistance on your tree-planting journey! Please schedule a call if any of these instructions need clarification or if you have any questions or concerns.