Slow growing globe shaped tree eventually reaching 30 feet tall. Drooping leaves and branches give it a languid, tropical appearance. Flowers not showy, but give way to delicious orange, baseball-sized fruit that remains on tree even after leaves have fallen. Once established, they need little care and require little or no pruning. Make attractive shade trees with the added bonus of delicious fruit in the fall.
Fruit is set without pollination, and are usually seedless.
Tannin from unripe Japanese persimmons has been employed in brewing sake , also in dyeing and as a wood preservative. Juice of small, inedible wild persimmons, crushed whole, calyx, seeds and all, is diluted with water and painted on paper or cloth as an insect and moisture repellent. The wood of the tree is fairly hard and heavy, and is prized in Japan for fancy inlays, though it has an unpleasant odor.