I’m surrounded by what should be predominantly 60C natives… but have been growing 90C fruiting selections for over 25 years… have open-grown 60 & 90 trees next to one another in the orchard (presumably all on 90C seedling understock, but I can’t attest to chromosome numbers on them… I don’t see any noticeable difference in height between the two.
My impression is similar to zendog’s… tall, vertical persimmons are growing in a ‘forest’ setting… requiring that they adopt a ‘timber’-type growth habit. Open-grown trees of both races tend toward a spreading, ‘orchard’ tree habit. So… is the ‘height’ thing a function of genetics, or siting?
Correction for the Pomper article… I know he was using info he got from Cliff England, but the 'Brace #1" selection(a 90C hexaploid) attributed to me came from Don Compton at Marengo IN… not sure where Don selected that one, but it’s not a western KY-origin persimmon.