Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
arctictropical

What is the hardiest variety of American Persimmon?

arctictropical
15 years ago

I would like to grow persimmons, but I typically have zone 4 winters in my area. Has any one successfully grown persimmons in zone 4?

Comments (18)

  • denninmi
    15 years ago

    I'm not in Zone 4 by any means, but my 'Meader' survived the "100 year" cold event of January 1994, with air temperatures of -30 F to -40 F and windhchills of -80 F or lower (the windchill chart actually stops at -80 F, I was once told, since anything colder is imperceptable to human skin). The tree was about 4 years old at the time. I lost an 'Early Golden' and a 'Ruby' to that weather event, but 'Meader' sailed through with no problems at all. Not surprising, since it's rated Zone 4 hardy in most catalogs, and was bred at the University of New Hampshire by Professor Meader, which is a Zone 4 to marginal Zone 5 climate, I guess.

    Another one which is claimed to be Zone 4 hardy in the catalogs is 'Prok' -- I bought one last spring, and don't anticipate any problems with it.

    Dennis
    SE Michigan

  • arctictropical
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Dennis, thanks for your recommendations! I've never heard of 'Prok' before, but I'll find it and give it a try. I will also try 'Meader', since that seems to be a common variety and available through most catalog companies.

    Kevin

  • troman1973
    15 years ago

    A little off topic, but what does a persimmon taste like? I tried looking it up, but really didnt get anything. I assume they are not good eating out of hand?

  • milehighgirl
    15 years ago

    I have curious about Nikita's Gift, a Ukrainian Persimmon from OGW. I think I may want to ditch my Marron medlar for one of these. Does anyone have information on this variety?

    Here is a link that might be useful: Nikitas Gift

  • troman1973
    15 years ago

    Guess no one knows what persimmon tastes like.

  • ajpa
    15 years ago

    I'm curious about the taste too.
    What I've read is that you must let it ripen on the tree fully or it is very astringent.

    linky which says something about the taste:
    http://www.tonytantillo.com/fruits/persimmons.html

  • alexander3_gw
    15 years ago

    Asian persimmons are very good out of hand. Some American persimmons are good, some not as much, but the named varieties are all probably pretty good at least. I've only had "wild" American persimmon from two trees. Some were good, others kind of bland and dry. But beyond sweetness, it's hard to describe the taste of any fruit. To me persimmon has a very distinct taste, not like other fruit, but the Asian and American persimmons share that distinct taste, and I would think that if you like Asian persimmon, you would like a good American persimmon. So, try to find Asian persimmon at the grocery store, you may have better luck at an Asian or upscale grocery store if you can get to one.

    It is important to note that *all* American persimmons are astringent until fully ripe, at which point they are pretty soft, even mushy. With Asian persimmons, some are astringent until soft, others are non astringent.

    Alex

  • kiwinut
    15 years ago

    Persimmons taste like...persimmons! Ok, I would describe them as sweet with a mild apricot-like flavor.

    Nikita's Gift is a hybrid of Rosseyanka (kaki persimmon crossed to american persimmon) crossed back to kaki. Probably not much hardier than kaki persimmons. I recall reading that it does not survive in zn5 Indiana, so I suspect it would not be good for Colorado either. Rosseyanka should be hardy in Colorado and produces astringent kaki sized fruit that is typically seedless.

  • troman1973
    15 years ago

    Thanks that helps! I was just wondering if you pick them off a tree and be able to eat them or if they were more for baking.

  • denninmi
    15 years ago

    Let me see if I can help clarify some of the questions about American persimmons' edible qualities and usage.

    As was stated above, it's hard to describe what something "tastes like" but I'll take a stab at it. American persimmons are pretty similar to Asian persimmons in flavor, but not exactly the same. As with the Asian varieties, the flavor and texture change somewhat with different stages of ripeness. ALL American persimmons are astringent, so you must wait until fully soft, translucent, and have lost their astringency. I guess the best way to describe their flavor at that stage is similar to a mixture of date and apricot, with some caramel or butterscotch overtones. As they continue to age, they become somewhat firmer and drier, and become considerably more date-like in character and flavor. In cooked products, persimmon is very interchangable in recipes with pumpkin or mashed sweet potato, so that may help to give you some clues about what the end product will turn out like. Personally, I think would have a hard time telling the difference in a blind taste test of something like muffins, cookies, or quick bread between those made with persimmon and those with pumpkin/squash or sweet potatoes.

    And yes, you CAN pick them off the tree and eat them, once ripe enough. I enjoy them this way, and so does my dog. They are especially good when frozen solid, although I suspect this would not happen very often except here in the most northern parts of their range.

  • troman1973
    15 years ago

    Now thats a description!

    and with that I dont think I would plant one.

    Thanks for the help denni

  • calliope
    15 years ago

    I have a meader persimmon and she's just coming into her own and beginning to bear well. It is self-pollinating and the fruits are smaller than any of the Asian varieties of which I am familiar, but they are very edible right off the tree when they are ripe enough to have lost their pucker-power. Racoons adore them, btw.

    I have not cooked with mine, because I like them right off the tree. They have a very pleasant taste, not bland at all and yes, distinctive. I'd describe them as sweet-tart. Sort of like eating a lemon ice. It's sweet, but it's not cloying. Of any other fruit the closest taste I would think of is apricot. Mine is very winter hardy and has survived at least -15 when the wind chill was minus 35 with no damage.

    I'm glad I have one in my little orchard.

  • arctictropical
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thanks for your information, calliope. I will give Meader a try! I just hope it survives our colder winters. We have racoons here, so I will have to keep watch.

  • jstrachte
    9 years ago

    Arctictropical did you ever give Meader a try? I'm curious. I think I might want to give one a try.

  • appleseed70
    9 years ago

    denninmi...that was a very good description...I'd check that box.
    I don't much like persimmons though. If I had a tree, I would however try to force myself to acquire the taste for them.
    I think the texture, odor and general feeling of it reminds me of rotten fruit. Just can't get past that.

  • Tony
    9 years ago

    In the link below are some of the newer, lager, and tastier crosses of American persimmon. Thanks to Jerry Lehman and other breeders. I enjoyed my 9 varieties multi-grafted American persimmon tree very much. Even though I like Asian persimmon a lot but nothing beat a super large dead ripe Prok, 100-42, or WS8-10.

    Tony

    Here is a link that might be useful: Newer and Larger American Persimmon

  • plumhillfarm
    9 years ago

    Hello, I had a meader persimmon for many years and it survived -20F or below. It fruited consistently but never ripened (bland mouth numbing taste even when picked frozen off the tree) due to insufficient heat in the summer. I had the same problem with Hardy Kiwis, they only actually ripened once in 6 years of fruiting very good when ripe, not so good otherwise. I eventually pulled both out and planted something else

    So your problem way not be tree hardiness but fruit ripening.

    Eric

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    9 years ago

    Since this thread is still popping up, I'll do a little correction. UNH is on the seacoast, so is warmer than most of NH; it's 5b. That said, many of Professor Meader's plants are hardier than that, so it's probably worth trying in zone 4. I don't know where he planted his research and breeding plants; I am not aware of any persimmons currently on the campus or surrounding research farms. It has been 20 years since he was working though, and I am not sure how long persimmons live.