Forest Stewardship Program

Consider applying for the Forest Stewardship Program in your state.   This is a nationwide program that is administered jointly by the USDA Forest Service and each state's forestry agency.  The purpose is to provide private forest landowners with a comprehensive Forest Stewardship Plan (FSP) that will help guide you toward improving your property.

Once you have established certain goals for your property, such as  wildlife habitat improvement, timber management, water and soil conservation, or just recreational  enhancement, a plan will be developed by a group of forestry professionals for you to follow.  The plan is of no cost to you, and the cost of its implementation might be alleviated with a cost share program.

Contact your state forestry agency about eligibility and participation.

The calyx can be the best clue of the sex of the Persimmon



Persimmon with calyx



When scouting for persimmon trees in the winter after the leaves and fruit have fallen it is not possible to determine the sex of the tree.  If you look on the ground around the tree you might spot, among the dead leaves, a small calyx that looks like a star with 4 points.  This is the calyx from the persimmon fruit and is the only indication in winter that the persimmon tree is a female.

Persimmon trees begin to show their fruit in the fall

Persimmon trees are valuable trees to have for wildlife habitat.  The persimmons, once they ripen, are like candy to deer.  We have spent a great deal of time trying to find the persimmon trees on our property, and then have kept our fingers crossed that some of them are females, which are the only ones that produce this popular treat.  It is not possible to determine whether a persimmon tree is female or male except of course when the female tree matures and begins to produce the fruit.

It is very difficult to see the fruit in the spring and summer, when the trees are in full foliage, and the fruit is very small and almost the same color as the leaves.  But as summer turns to fall, the leaves droop and fade in color, and the fruit gets larger and turns a lovely shade of orange.

This particular tree is a prolific producer of fruit.  The persimmons, altlhough small, are now beginning to be very visible.  The fruit is still somewhat bitter and will remain on the tree for several more months.  Eventually ithe persimmons will get even more colorful and very soft, sweet and juicy.  Once the persimmons fall to the ground they disappear quickly.  The only reminder that there are persimmon trees on your property will be the large brown seeds that get dispersed and eventually turn into new persimmon trees.