I’ve bought chestnut and other trees from chestnut hill to beef up our woods-based food plots. Last year I purchased a number of persimmons and this year two more of them. I just get an email from the company saying how many of what trees will be delivered to Walmart and rural king but with only general name (persimmon) and no variety names. The trees are individually tagged though. Last year I got Morris Burton and Prok. This year I was surprised to see one Nikita’s Gift. Is this NG the same as any other one or something of a lesser quality?
Thank you.
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Starks description of NG.
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Nikita’s Gift Persimmon Tree is as vigorous as the American Persimmon and as large as the Asian. This hybrid was introduced by the Nikita Botanical Garden in Yalta, Ukraine. Nikita’s Gift bears crops of sweet, large, red-orange fruit, followed by vivid, orange foliage in the fall. Nikita’s Gift tastes more like Asian persimmon. These astringent fruits are typically dried or used in jams.
A lovely addition to small gardens and orchards, this second-generation persimmon tree is a hardy, small tree with upright growth. Nikita’s Gift is a self-fertile variety, great for first-time fruit growers!
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I grafted NG on a wild DV this spring and it is looking good now.
If you are raising persimmons for deer… keep in mind that american persimmons will drop when ripe… some hang on a while but eventually drop. Hybrids and Asians… have to be cut off.
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I bought a persimmon from Chestnut Hill. The tag had Deer Candy but the sticker had Morris Burton. It died back to right at the graft. I couldn’t tell if it was rootstock or the graft that took again. I’ve sent Chestnut Hill probably 8 or 10 emails over 2 years and I’ve never gotten a response to any of them. I’d prefer not to deal with a company that won’t respond to an inquiry.
As far as Nikita’s Gift, it’s a great eating persimmon, but I’m not sure if it’s the best option for a food plot in Zone 6a. In the real cold winters, it might not last. Someone that grows it would have to chime in if it drops fruit (unless you plan on feeding birds, coons and possums). Morris Burton and Prok should do well for you in that regard though.
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