Had my first H118 today. They are super early compared with Asian persimmons. I picked a fallen one about a week ago and left it with a few apples.
Much smaller than the smallest Asian — like Saijo. Lingering flavor. Very aromatic. Unlike any Asian type.
I wish they were larger.
I have an H-118 fruiting for the first time this year and it seems like my persimmons are substantially larger. I don’t know if it makes a difference in size, but I have wild male persimmons around so mine are seeded. If it doesn’t make any other differences (taste, crop size…) I think I’d prefer somewhat smaller seedless fruit.
Generally with D. virginiana- The more colored up and wrinklier they get, the sweeter and less astringent they might taste.
Ram, I’ve eaten a couple of mine this year. The first was orange on the tree. I brought it in and ate after 3 days. It was kind of bland and hadn’t fully lost astringency.
The next had dropped and I ate it the same day. It was sweeter and better flavor, but left a little bitterness and smidge of astringency in the unchewed skin or whatever that lingered.
This tree was mostly defoliated by the windstorm a few weeks ago while all the fruit were hard and firm. I don’t know if that made a difference.
A few years ago they were sweet, rich, and delicious. Last year was mostly a bust.
The fruit looked great this year until they got beaten up by that storm. Hopefully the later ripening ones will be delicious.
I think it was the windstorm that knocked this fruit down. Still quite sweet and only slightly astringent — not enough to bother me or wife. There are several more that are still on the tree coloring up nicely.
A Yates from a friend’s yard. He has a male tree in his yrad. His Yates has seeds. Very sweet and gooey. Not a hint of astringency.
Looks delicious. Are they graft compatible to kakis? I wonder why I don’t see them (American Persimmons) grown around here. Do they need high chill hours?
I grafted Barbras blush (WS8-10) successfully to my Jiro tree. Not sure if there will be delayed incompatibility issues. Marta M felt this graft will not be compatible.
They are becoming more popular in CA amongst fruit enthusiasts.
Really? NO astringency at all? Wow, sounds good.
Watch to the end. Listen for discussion on “Meader,” a variety of American persimmon. These do fine once transplanted and established in Calif. Might need some irrigation.
@Matt_in_Pennsylvania,
My friend gave me very ripe, mushy ones. I tasted astringency from time to time from not mushy ripe ones.
My new dog has decided that it likes persimmons as much as I do!
This may be good ? ( or NOT ) The trees will feed the dog.
Who would have thought ,trees feeding the dog ?
Not sure what to think about it, who can blame it for liking persimmons.
Especially when all the new trees start producing.
It does help keep the coyotes away, they eat persimmons too.
The problem now is , the dog get moving quicker than I in the morning.
I can see it eating persimmons while I am still drinking coffee.
And it eats the ones closest to the house first.
It’s kind of sneaky about it.
Well, my unprotected persimmon was on the tree yesterday. It was gone today. It does not take long for animals to like the fruit !!
Fortunately, the rest are in window screen bags/sleeves. Hope that provide some protection.
Oh, no!
That’s a bummer!
I lost my ripe Bass Favorite Fig, Granthams Royal main crop and a couple of other fruits I’ve never tasted before to birds last night.
I checked on it twice a day. I hope to see it wrinkled a bit before picking. So bummed out.
The other three are not as far along. Their are also in a shade. Hope they will ripen for me.
Filoli has about a dozen American persimmon varieties in the orchard there and the trees seem about as healthy as the rest and fruit. I think the SCV-CRFG gets scions there from time to time for the Bay Area exchanges. Maybe put in a request?
Thanks for the tip. Yes, they do get scions from Filoli for the scion exchange but I think we may not have the event this winter due to Covid. Let me ping a few folks to see if they plan to visit Filoli this year for scions.
My 118’s are ripening for the first time this year as well. One year after biocharring them. My Garretson, Szukis and Early Golden were somewhat beaten up by the windstorm, but H118 is still very short, so it wasn’t damaged by the wind. They are orange, but not ripe. None of mine pollinated this year, as opposed to earlier years. I am excited to try a fresh, tree ripened H118. When I let Garretson ripen fully, it doesn’t have any astringency.
John S
PDX OR
