Anyone grows the hybrid persimmon trees from Cliff England? I’m interested in his Kassandra and Zima Khurma. I believe they can take as low as -16F winter weather. I coldest I remember here was -10F.
Can the two pollinate each other?
None of the hybrids need a pollinator.
I think Zima Khurma is brand new this year.
I ordered a couple of the other less-hardy hybrid… Sestronka (NB-21) as he said that one tastes the most like an American Persimmon.
When trying my friends Rossyanka, I was a bit disappointed … it tasted too much like a Kaki to me (I don’t think asians have much flavor, its just sugary-sweet… Same with my Saiju which produced 60 fruit for 1st time in 3rd/4th year … so I got very excited trying American persimmon for the 1st time this year. I like their wild flavor.).
So I’m hoping this NB-21 will exceed my expectations and taste like an American (seems like its a Nikita’s Gift (Nikitskaya Bordovaya) crossed back with a Kaki).
I also ordered a few of the large Americans like Prok, Lehmans Delight, and WS 8-10 (2-2.5" fruit).
He said:
"Most all the Hybrids that we have developed have that rich Virginiana Flavor
But remember the hybrids do not fall from the tree they must be picked and allowed to soften and I think only Kasandra and NB-02 will survive at your location be that is untested…"
He said it may not survive my location, but I think I’m good in Philly suburbs/Zone7a.
Doesn’t really get that cold often and zone 6/7 asians like Saiju do fine for me here.
Usually winter temps are here are 25-40s… (with a handful of cold nights per year in the teens or single digits, and the rare super cold night in the -5F to 0F range (which may happen every few years).
Interesting to know. But I prefer the Asian flavor to the American persimmon flavor. So they fit my need better then.
So it is going to take 3 or 4 years from this year to get some fruits?
I’ve heard conflicting reports on Nikita’s Gift. Some folks who have it say it falls from the tree and others say it doesn’t. So, I decided to graft a few scions from Tony to American rootstock. I’m not sure what to make of those conflicting reports. It could be a climate difference or I guess it is possible that there are actually more than one variety being sold under the name Nikita’s Gift.
Cliff did say that none of his hybrids fall from the tree.
I can’t say I “prefer,” as I have yet to try a ripe, improved-cultivar American, but I also enjoy the Asians. Like you, I am sort of hoping at some point in this they will get a solid, Zone-5 Asian-tasting hybrid…and if it was non-astringent, I would be a happy, happy boy.
Doesn’t mean I won’t also one day discover I like Americans better, but I would still enjoy having both up here in the cold without having to wrap and babysit like tony in Nebraska (I am down to tarp trees, but my wife is less fond of my creating what looks like some sort of mob-hit corpse-garden in the yard with all these long, narrow tarp-wrapped things for the neighbors to look at…)
1 Like
Hey RedSun, I only was saying it took my Saiju 3 or 4 years to get a good crop. Not sure for these hybrids.
Tastes do vary. I have yet to try any Am Persimmons, but have had a half dozen vars of Asian and to me all the astringent vars were better than the non-astringent at the soft stage I prefer to eat them at. Flavor seemed richer or more multi-dimensional. I hope I like the flavor of Americans since that’s all I can grow now.