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● Preppers in USDA zones 7 through 10 can grow and enjoy the fuyu persimmon tree. Persimmons like to be planted in full sun but can tolerate part shade. The soil composition can vary as the Japanese persimmon trees are extremely adaptable, preferring somewhat wet soils but also being very tolerant of sandy soils and drought. In the springtime you will see beautiful yellow flowers that will attract hummingbirds, and the fruit will begin to set and ripen in October, becoming orange and about the size of a fist. The fruit can hold on to the tree for a couple months after ripening, and once fallen to the ground will be consumed quickly by deer. As the fruit is non-astringent, it can be eaten right off the tree with a very slight tart taste; or you can wait until it’s soft, when it will have a very rich, sweet taste. Fuyu persimmons have very few pest or disease problems, making them maintenance-free fruit trees. At maturity the persimmon tree can grow up to 40 feet tall and have an equal spread. The tree has to be about five years old before it will produce fruit, but Prepper Gardens sells fruiting-age trees, so you don’t have to wait.
● Persimmons are self-fertile trees and you do not need a second one in order to produce fruit. When you receive your fuyu persimmon tree, you will notice the root is black: this is a common characteristic of this plant. Persimmon trees are unique in that they leaf out with warming periods not chilling hours, so it is very common that a persimmon tree does not leaf out the first season of planting at the same time as the native plants around you; sometimes it doesn't leaf out until middle-to-late summer. On the rare occasion that the persimmon does not leaf out the first year, you can scratch the bark of the tree to reveal the cambium of the trunk and see that it is green–again, this is common. To minimize this, pot up your bare-root Japanese fuyu persimmon tree when you receive it and keep it in a warm, sunny spot until you see bud-swelling; at this point you should then transplant the tree to its new home. You will want to keep it watered frequently until established. The fruit can last for a couple of weeks at room temperature, and can be eaten fresh, used for jelly or jams, in salads, or in a wide variety of recipes, but cannot be stored for as long as other fruits. Usually, however, they are planted more as food for deer.
● Fuyu persimmons are great to grow because of their low-maintenance nature. Plus, you can use a Japanese persimmon tree in your food plots to attract deer to your property for hunting.
Fuyu persimmons are rare and can be found from time to time in the grocery store, fall through winter. The fruit of the fuyu persimmon tree is non-astringent, meaning you can eat it hard (right off the tree), like an apple, or soft, once ripe. It has a deep, sweet, rich, honey taste; it’s truly exceptional, and often an instant favorite among people trying it for the first time. The tree itself produces a large quantity of these highly nutritious, rich persimmon fruits, and will fruit reliably every year.
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Received an almost dead fruit tree 
