Persimmon Wilt and Verticillium Wilt
The Cephalosporium diospyri fungus causes a serious and often fatal disease called persimmon wilt. Infected leaves wilt and fall to the ground as the branches die. The decline begins at the top of a persimmon tree and spreads downward, eventually affecting the entire tree. Severely diseased trees die one to two years after becoming infected.
Vascular or verticillium wilt also can cause persimmon tree death. The soil-borne fungus attacks the tree’s water-transport system. The wood and roots become discolored, the leaves shrivel and wilt, and the persimmon fruit is often deformed or the tree fails to produce fruit.