2026 Arbor Day – Get Your FREE Persimmon Seedlings on April 17th!
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Collapse ▲Nationally, Arbor Day is celebrated on the last Friday of April. However, most states observe a separate Arbor Day on a date of their choosing in accordance with the best tree-planting times. In North Carolina, we celebrate Arbor Day on the first Friday following March 15. This year, NC Arbor Day falls on Friday, March 20. Arbor Day is all about giving thanks for/to your trees.
The American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) is a native deciduous tree of the eastern and central United States, valued for its beauty, resilience, and sweet fall fruit. A member of the ebony family, it adapts well to a wide range of growing conditions and offers year-round interest—from spring flowers and wildlife value to striking fall color and winter fruit. Its cultural history, distinctive bark, and late-season harvest make it a standout tree for both landscapes and natural areas. Read more about what it needs to be happy here.
Even non-plant folks benefit from being around those of us who just can’t get enough of the flora. Plants fight climate change through photosynthesis, absorbing harmful carbon dioxide, removing and storing the carbon and releasing oxygen back into the air. In one year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the amount of CO2 produced by a car driven 26,000 miles! Trees and shrubs clean the air and help you breathe by this process as well as by absorbing odors and pollutants like nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulfur dioxide and ozone. It’s estimated that one tree can absorb nearly 10 pounds of polluted air each year and release 260 pounds of oxygen.
Torrential rains can result in water runoff into streams, lakes and wetlands, creating the potential for flooding. It also picks up and carries pollutants along the way. The EPA and the Center for Watershed Protection are recognizing the importance of trees in managing runoff. Leaf canopies help buffer the falling rain and their roots hold the soil in place, encouraging the water to seep into the ground rather than run off.
Trees and shrubs provide passive energy conservation in summer and winter, providing shade from the hot summer sun and shelter from cold winter winds. Trees in an attractive landscape setting increase a home’s value by up to 15 percent while providing nesting sites, food and shelter for birds and other wildlife while reducing stress and anxiety for us.
AMERICAN PERSIMMON FUN FACTS!
American persimmons can grow into impressive trees, reaching up to 80 feet tall, though in tougher conditions they may stay small and shrub-like. Their name comes from putchamin, a word used by the Algonquin people, and their scientific name means “from Virginia.” One of their most eye-catching features is the thick, dark gray bark, divided into square plates that resemble alligator skin.
Persimmon trees are either male or female, and you’ll need both to produce fruit. While patience is required—some trees take several years to bear—those sweet orange fruits are worth the wait. The fruit ripens in fall and often hangs on the tree even after the leaves drop, providing food for birds and wildlife and visual interest through winter. Hardy, wildlife-friendly, and surprisingly ornamental, American persimmons are a fun and functional addition to edible landscapes, native gardens, and family-friendly spaces.
MORE ABOUT THE AMERICAN PERSIMMON: American persimmons grow best in moist, well-drained sandy soils with full sun to partial shade, but they are highly adaptable and tolerate heat, drought, poor soils, wind, and urban conditions. To learn more, go to the NC Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.
Get Your FREE Persimmon Seedlings on April 17th!
Swain County Heritage Museum (front lawn)
Bryson City, NC
10:00 – Noon
OR
Mark Watson Park in Constitution Square
Sylva, NC
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m..
We’ll have FREE Spicebush seedlings to share while they last.
For more information, contact:
Robert Hawk, Extension Director
Swain & Jackson Counties
(828) 488-3848 or (828) 586-4009
robert_hawk@ncsu.edu
