Oregon · Washington · Idaho
When to plant persimmon trees
Plant in the garden: Portland and Seattle Mar 1 – Apr 26; Spokane Apr 1 – May 27; Boise Mar 20 – May 15; Bend Apr 28 – Jun 23.
Your dates in
Persimmons are handsome trees grown for orange fruit in late fall, eaten fresh, dried or baked into puddings and breads. Non-astringent types like Fuyu can be eaten crisp like an apple; astringent types like Hachiya must be fully soft, almost jelly-like, or they make your mouth pucker. American persimmon is a separate, very cold-hardy species with smaller fruit.
Puts persimmon trees on your free plan, with dates for your town and a spot in your beds.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Sun
- Full sun; the warmest spot you have
- Spacing
- 15 to 20 feet apart
- Planting depth
- Same depth as in the pot or nursery
- Frost
- Asian types hardy to about 0°F once established
- First harvest
- First fruit in three to five years
Asian persimmons like Fuyu are self-fertile, have few pests and hold bright orange fruit after the leaves drop. They leaf out late and need a warm, sunny spot to ripen before hard frost, so give them your hottest wall west of the Cascades. High desert seasons are usually too short and cold for persimmons.
Persimmon planting dates
| Towns | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|
| Portland, OR, Seattle and Tacoma, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
| Spokane, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 |
| Boise and Meridian, ID | Mar 20 – May 15 |
| Bend and Redmond, OR | Apr 28 – Jun 23 |
| Astoria, OR | Mar 25 – May 20 |
Dates for six main cities. For any of the other 80 towns, type it in the box at the top of the page or browse all towns.
| Gresham, OR, Oregon City and West Linn, OR, Portland, OR, St. Helens and Scappoose, OR, Wilsonville and Canby, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
|---|---|
| Hillsboro and Beaverton, OR | Mar 5 – Apr 30 |
| Corvallis and Albany, OR, Eugene, OR, Salem, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
|---|---|
| Cottage Grove, OR | Mar 13 – May 8 |
| McMinnville and Newberg, OR | Mar 4 – Apr 29 |
| Ashland and Talent, OR | Mar 25 – May 20 |
|---|---|
| Grants Pass, OR, Medford, OR, Roseburg, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
| Astoria, OR, Brookings and Gold Beach, OR, Coos Bay and North Bend, OR, Newport and Lincoln City, OR, Tillamook, OR | Mar 25 – May 20 |
|---|
| Bend and Redmond, OR, Klamath Falls, OR | Apr 28 – Jun 23 |
|---|---|
| Burns, OR | Apr 30 – Jun 25 |
| Lakeview, OR | Apr 23 – Jun 18 |
| Madras, OR, Prineville, OR | Apr 20 – Jun 15 |
| Baker City, OR, Enterprise and Joseph, OR, John Day, OR | Apr 20 – Jun 15 |
|---|---|
| Hermiston, OR, Hood River, OR, Ontario, OR, Pendleton, OR, The Dalles, OR | Mar 20 – May 15 |
| La Grande, OR | Apr 1 – May 27 |
| Bremerton and Port Orchard, WA, Everett, WA, Kent, Renton and Auburn, WA, Seattle and Tacoma, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
|---|---|
| Olympia, WA | Mar 18 – May 13 |
| Shelton, WA | Mar 16 – May 11 |
| Anacortes, WA, Bellingham, WA, Friday Harbor and the San Juans, WA, Mount Vernon and Burlington, WA, Oak Harbor and Whidbey Island, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
|---|
| Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA, Forks, WA, Long Beach and Ilwaco, WA | Mar 25 – May 20 |
|---|---|
| Port Angeles, WA, Port Townsend, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
| Sequim, WA | Mar 10 – May 5 |
| Centralia and Chehalis, WA | Mar 11 – May 6 |
|---|---|
| Longview and Kelso, WA, Vancouver, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
| Chelan, WA, Wenatchee, WA | Mar 20 – May 15 |
|---|---|
| Leavenworth, WA, Omak and Okanogan, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 |
| Winthrop and Twisp, WA | Apr 3 – May 29 |
| Ellensburg, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 |
|---|---|
| Ephrata and Quincy, WA, Moses Lake, WA, Sunnyside, Grandview and Prosser, WA, Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WA, Walla Walla, WA | Mar 20 – May 15 |
| Goldendale, WA | Apr 7 – Jun 2 |
| Yakima, WA | Mar 27 – May 22 |
| Colville, WA, Pullman, WA, Spokane, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 |
|---|
| Bonners Ferry, ID, Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls, ID, Sandpoint, ID | Apr 1 – May 27 |
|---|
| Lewiston, ID | Mar 20 – May 15 |
|---|---|
| Moscow, ID | Apr 1 – May 27 |
| Boise and Meridian, ID, Emmett, ID, Nampa and Caldwell, ID | Mar 20 – May 15 |
|---|---|
| McCall, ID | May 11 – Jul 6 |
| Burley and Rupert, ID, Idaho Falls, ID, Pocatello, ID, Rexburg, ID, Twin Falls, ID | Apr 1 – May 27 |
|---|---|
| Salmon, ID | Apr 20 – Jun 15 |
Persimmon year at a glance
| Task | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | Mar | Apr | ||||||||||
| Harvest | Oct | Nov | ||||||||||
| In bloom | May | Jun |
Around Portland. Colder towns, especially east of the Cascades, run a few weeks later; the table above has your town's planting dates. Harvest months are for an established plant.
How to grow persimmon trees
- Pick a sunny spot with soil that drains well, and mix in an inch or two of compost.
- Plant persimmon trees on your city's dates, 15 to 20 feet apart. Same depth as in the pot or nursery.
- Water deeply every week or two through the first two summers. Prune lightly in late winter for shape; heavy pruning cuts the crop.
- Harvest: Pick non-astringent types like Fuyu when fully orange; they're crisp and sweet right away. Astringent types like Hachiya must soften to jelly before eating. Clip fruit with a short stem.
Growing persimmon trees in your part of the Northwest
The same plant behaves differently on the wet west side, the foggy coast and the dry, colder east side.
West-side valleys
Willamette Valley, Puget Sound, southern Oregon
Fuyu persimmons, the kind you can eat crisp, grow around Portland and the Willamette Valley and ripen in late October or November, often after the leaves drop.
Coast
Oregon and Washington coast
Coastal summers are usually too cool to ripen Asian persimmons.
East of the Cascades
Columbia Basin, Yakima, Boise, Spokane, north Idaho
Cold winters limit Asian persimmons to the warmest valleys. American persimmons are much hardier.
More persimmon varieties
More widely sold picks that do well somewhere in the Northwest. The tag says which part of the Northwest suits each one best.
Fuyu
The most popular crisp persimmon, eaten firm like an apple. Self-fertile; needs a warm spot to ripen west of the Cascades.
Both sides
Jiro
Similar to Fuyu, with squat, flat-bottomed fruit. Sweet and crisp, and self-fertile.
West side
Saijo
Small, very sweet fruit once soft, and one of the most cold-hardy Asian persimmons.
Both sides
Hachiya
Large, acorn-shaped fruit that must soften completely before eating. Excellent for baking.
West side
Meader
A hardy American persimmon that sets fruit without a second tree. Small, rich fruit once soft.
Cold winters
How much to grow
How many to plant
One tree is enough; most Asian persimmons set fruit without a pollinator.
What to expect
A mature tree can give 50 pounds or more in a warm summer.
Storing the harvest
Fuyu types keep weeks in the fridge. Hachiya types ripen to soft on the counter.
Key numbers
- 3–5Years to fruit
- Self-fertile (Asian)Pollination
- October–NovemberHarvest
- About 0°F (Asian)Cold hardiness
Top care tip: Water deeply through the first two summers, since young trees with long taproots settle in slowly.
Growing notes
What makes the difference in Northwest gardens, in plain language.
Astringent or not
Asian persimmons come in two kinds. Non-astringent types like Fuyu and Jiro can be eaten crisp like an apple once they're orange. Astringent types like Hachiya and Saijo are mouth-puckering until they soften to jelly on the counter.
Most Asian persimmons set fruit without pollination, so one tree is enough. American persimmons are smaller, hardier trees; many need a second tree to fruit, though some varieties like Meader are self-fertile.
Heat and siting in the Northwest
Persimmons leaf out late and ripen late, so the main challenge here is enough summer heat and a long enough fall. West of the Cascades, plant in your sunniest, warmest spot, such as by a south wall. Hot eastern valleys ripen fruit easily but have colder winters; choose hardier types like Saijo there. In the high desert, the frost-free season is usually too short for persimmons to ripen.
Young trees have a long taproot and dislike being moved. Plant a small tree, water deeply through the first two summers, and expect slow growth the first year.
Harvest
Fruit ripens in October and November, often after the leaves drop, which is a striking sight. Clip fruit with a short stem left on.
Pick before a hard freeze. Astringent fruit can be picked firm and softened indoors. Persimmons have few pests here; birds and fruit drop in cool summers are the usual troubles.
Good neighbors
Good neighbors
- A warm, sunny spot. Heat helps the fruit ripen.
Pests and problems
What most often goes wrong with persimmon trees in Northwest gardens, how to spot it and what to do.
Fruit drop
Signs: Young fruit falls in summer.
What to do: Water deeply in dry spells.
Short seasons
Signs: Fruit doesn't ripen before frost.
What to do: Early varieties and the warmest spot.
Common questions about growing persimmon trees
When should I plant persimmon trees in Oregon, Washington and Idaho?
Plant in the garden: Mar 1 – Apr 26 in Portland and Seattle, Apr 1 – May 27 in Spokane, Mar 20 – May 15 in Boise and Apr 28 – Jun 23 in Bend. Pick your town at the top of the page for your own dates.
Can you grow persimmons in Portland or Seattle?
Yes. Fuyu and other Asian persimmons fruit west of the Cascades in a warm, sunny spot. Fruit ripens in late fall.
Do persimmon trees need a pollinator?
Most Asian persimmons don't. Many American persimmons do, unless you buy a self-fertile variety.
Why are my persimmons so bitter?
You probably have an astringent type like Hachiya. Let the fruit soften completely, until it feels like a water balloon, before eating.
See what else to plant in March or April.
Apple trees
Pear trees
Plum trees
Cherry trees
Peach trees
Fig trees
Hazelnut trees
Asian pear trees
Quince trees
Mulberry trees