Persimmon
Diospyros kaki
Also called Kaki, Sharon fruit and Japanese persimmon
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitThe astringent sorts are inedible until they are almost liquid, and picking them when they LOOK ripe is how everyone is put off the fruit for life. 'Fuyu' types can be eaten firm — buy by name, not by colour.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Hard
- Water
- Once a weekWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun, against a warm wall
- Feed
- Every 45 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Hardy — a cold winter RHS H5, to -15°C
- Size
- 6 m tall · 4 m across
- Lifecycle
- Tree
- Origin
- China and Japan
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-22. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- A fully orange fruit that is mouth-drying and bitter. On an astringent variety colour means nothing — it is ready when it is soft enough to collapse in the hand, which looks like a fruit that has gone over.Picked too early · disorder
- Small green fruits on the ground in midsummer under a young tree. It is normal for the first few years; a tree under about four sheds nearly everything it sets.Fruit drop · disorder