Growing Texas persimmon (D. texana) in the PNW

[DennisD]

Hi Winn
What are your plans for d Texana?
Dennis
Kent, Wa

[swincher]

@DennisD

What are your plans for d Texana?

It was kind of buried in one of the early posts, but this is the plan:

@swincher

with long-term plans to try to hybridize the species with the black sapote (D. digyna), which has the same ploidy and non-overlapping native range. I haven’t been able to find any reported attempts to make the cross. I’ll need the black sapote to be indoors, which may be challenging because those trees get huge. But that’s a future-me problem

At this point I have a dozen or so first-year black sapote seedlings in my greenhouse, and I’m planning to graft them next year if I can find a suitable cultivar (preferably one that produces good fruit and ample male flowers).

[DennisD]

I got D Texana seed this year from @JerrytheDragon. So if some germinate I will have the three types in the US. I will attempt to cross breed them to see if I can creat a seedless variety similar to Prok. Since it’s parthenocarpic I am hoping to transfer its genes over to Texana to arrive at one that will set fruit without pollination of a male tree. I have one mature tree I can graft the progeny to assuming I get that far. I read that Texana typically sheds its seedless fruit, so that may be the challenge!
Dennis
Kent, Wa

[DennisD]

Hello Marta, I noticed in your post that you may be trying to obtain seedless Texana. If you are, then would you mind sharing your findings as I am trying to better understand if my upcoming breeding strategies might have potential. I have found some information on cross breeding the two native varieties of 90 and 60 chromosome persimmons and that it may have caused some fruit to be seedless in a Kentucky study. (2017 ASHS Annual Conference )
Also I read that Prok was discovered among other 90 chromosome natives and was found to be naturally seedless unless pollinated by other males, it made me think that if it can happen in nature, perhaps under the right conditions it can work again. I have recently acquired the ability to grow all three of the natives, 30, 60 and 90 so I want to try cross breeding them. So I am writing you to inquire if you are aware that any member has been successful with such trials? If you would like to share what you know I would like to chat with you about coordinating some joint or independent efforts with the goal of creating a variety with seedless fruit.
Dennis
Kent, wa

[Marta]

Hi Dennis, as of now, I think that all persimmon fruits are seedless unless pollinated. Here is my first texana fruits. I don’t have a male and these are seedless.

Texas Persimmon in Sacramento Valley

[DennisD]

Thanks Marta
That confirms what I was hoping to hear!
It will support my plans to cross breed my varieties
Dennis