A Tree a Week: Persimmon Tree

10/17/2025

We are excited to launch a new series featuring the trees of the Chatham Hall Arboretum.

Established in 2024 as an outdoor sanctuary, our accredited level one arboretum celebrates nature as a sacred place on campus and instills a sense of stewardship for our trees and tree canopy. Currently, we have 27 unique species in the arboretum, although our master plan includes a growing list of additional species we will add, from towering centurions to newly planted young saplings.

This week, we are pleased to introduce you to Diospyros virginiana, commonly known as a Persimmon tree. Growing to 60 feet tall, it has a round-topped canopy with yellow foliage in the fall and produces a small orange edible fruit. One of the few fruit trees on campus remaining from the school’s original orchard, the persimmon is a delicacy for our campus deer, who gather around it each evening. Students and staff may also be seen picking the fruit off the ground for a bite-sized treat.

Interesting Fact:
Persimmon trees either produce all female flowers or all male flowers, making them dioecious. Flowers bloom in mid-spring and fruits form in the fall. One should only eat the fruit once it has fallen on the ground; if picked from the tree, it is very bitter.

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