American Persimmon uses: food, fuel, carving...

I am thinking about planting the American Persimmon tree as my over story tree. Strong tap root to bring up moisture, 60 feet tall, and slow to leaf out in the spring allowing the under story more sunlight until they do. Persimmons are actually berries? What do you think?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persimmon

Personally I would not get a 60ft tree unless I have an acre or more.
Or if I had a place that really needed it (chicken coop).
Instead of planting two 60ft trees I can fourteen 10ft trees plus quite a few shurbs(currants) underneath them.
I would get a much higher bio-diversity and bigger harvest and all the trees would get alot of sunlight.

However if you do have over 1 acre. Then go for it. Add a few 100ft Walnut trees too.
Walnut+Mulberry+Juneberry+Black/Raspberry is a good combo.

On my tiny plot I do have Japanese persimmons (8ft) and they do have a 20ft American Persimmon tree (Meader)
Plus a few 12ft hybrid that I am going to get.

Here is a really good vendor for persimmons and quite a few other edible plants.
http://www.onegreenworld.com//index.php?cPath=1_49

Didn't see this post till today.

I have one mature American Persimmon (Diospyros Virginiana) in my front yard and generally get about 2 quarts of fruit a year from it.
I have about 30 more younger persimmons, some volunteers, some grown from seed.

Very nice trees with a delicious uncommon fruit. Attractive form, beautiful yellow leaves in fall, what's not to like?

I would look carefully for improved/selected varieties and also consider hybrids with Asians. Wild persimmons are pretty variable. Some are pretty good, and some are so completely full of seeds as to be hardly worth it, or are so astringent that they need to freeze hard and thaw multiple times in order to sweeten.....

Our wild american persimmons vary in taste and size but start ripening end of august on into November...no freeze necessary and all really tastey. None are sixty foot yet...mostly 15 to 20 feet and we get gallons of fruit most years off of about a dozen trees. I am letting more grow up in open areas to provide more shade, more fruit, more bee forage and more protection for some brambles and young fruit trees. The white tailed deer here don't eat them and they survive the summer drought wonderfully. The downside for me is that I don't know if the tree is male or female until they bloom.

I see my American Persimmon thread at the bottom of this page...lots of input there in praise of Persimmon.

American persimmon is one of the best fuel woods available.
More BTU's per cord than Hickory, Oak, or Locust (black or honey).
About double the BTU's of pines.

Why not an Asian persimmon? I love the fruit and there are lots of varieties. I would not plant such a huge tree either unnless you have enough fruit to eat each month yet.
It can quickly dominate your whole garden. Two quarts of fruit is not very much a usual plum has much more on a small tree.

IMHO, a larger tree would have a more extensive root system, so it would mine minerals from deeper in the subsoil, bringing them to the surface every time it drops leaves. I'd say go for it if you like the tree.

Unless it is a nut tree that will drop the harvest, I do not see myself climbing and harvesting a 60ft fruit/apple tree. However you might just be planting it for the wildlife.

S Bengi wrote:Unless it is a nut tree that will drop the harvest, I do not see myself climbing and harvesting a 60ft fruit/apple tree. However you might just be planting it for the wildlife.

American Persimmon take a long time to reach sixty feet. Those as small as ten to twelve bear a lot of fruit. The fruit is only ripe when it drops. We keep the area clean under the tree when fruit is ripening and pick up once or twice a day and sometimes knock the tree for a few more. No problem dealing with too large trees...as John says the wood is great firewood and it is also wonderful carving wood. It's advantages as a drought resistant, deer proof and excellent fruit bearing tree far out weigh it's potential height. The seeds sprout easily so one could have a continuous harvest while removing the largest trees and allowing new ones to grow. I love this tree.

Like Ms. Browning said, you don't have to climb the tree to get the fruit- it falls off when it is ripe.
Persimmons in general are nice because they are ripe very late season when little else is fruiting.

My mature tree is 50-60 feet tall and it starts dropping fruit in September through late October, I check every few days during this time and gather what has fallen.
Whatever I collect, I wash and put in the freezer till I have enough to use. At least whatever me and the dogs don't eat right under the tree.
Whatever is damaged, buggy,etc. I throw in the woods for the raccoons, possums, etc.


I like Asian persimmons too, they are much bigger fruit, have seedless varieties, different textures and flavors,etc.

American persimmon though is native where I live and grows wild along fences, forest edges,etc.

If it drop and I can harvest then I am all for it.

Just FYI - that's how we harvested Native Plums, too. Shake the tree and pick up whatever fell. Those are the ripe ones.

Yeah. Only eat the ones that fall off. If you have to pick it, you DON'T want to eat it!

Judith Browning wrote:Our wild american persimmons vary in taste and size but start ripening end of august on into November...no freeze necessary and all really tastey. None are sixty foot yet...mostly 15 to 20 feet and we get gallons of fruit most years off of about a dozen trees. I am letting more grow up in open areas to provide more shade, more fruit, more bee forage and more protection for some brambles and young fruit trees. The white tailed deer here don't eat them and they survive the summer drought wonderfully. The downside for me is that I don't know if the tree is male or female until they bloom.

I see my American Persimmon thread at the bottom of this page...lots of input there in praise of Persimmon.

I might be interested in one of you late August scions/sucker.

S Bengi wrote:

Judith Browning wrote:Our wild american persimmons vary in taste and size but start ripening end of august on into November...no freeze necessary and all really tastey. None are sixty foot yet...mostly 15 to 20 feet and we get gallons of fruit most years off of about a dozen trees. I am letting more grow up in open areas to provide more shade, more fruit, more bee forage and more protection for some brambles and young fruit trees. The white tailed deer here don't eat them and they survive the summer drought wonderfully. The downside for me is that I don't know if the tree is male or female until they bloom.

I see my American Persimmon thread at the bottom of this page...lots of input there in praise of Persimmon.

I might be interested in one of you late August scions/sucker.

I have only propagated these native American Persimmons by tossing seed (or spitting seed as we eat them) and generally the trees appear. I think our dog helps with this also. Our oldest trees were bearing when we moved here. I've never tried scions or suckers. You might want to find a wild persimmon in your area that would already be adapted to your colder climate.