Persimmons 2026

[scottfsmith]

@CarolinaZone

Does anyone know if the “Chocolate” persimmon sold by One Green is actually “Tsuru Noko”?

From what I have seen all nurseries seem to be selling the same variety under that name. It’s an acorn-shaped persimmon which is PVNA and has brown flesh when pollinated. My guess is it is a descendant of Maru which has the same characteristics but is smaller. Its a great persimmon, my favorite for taste.

In Japan the Tsurunokos appear to be a flat-bottomed variety like Fuyu so not the same variety, but they also are PVNAs with dark flesh.

The names of persimmons is not super reliable, Maru for example is often regarded as a type and not a variety. Similar for Fuyu, what you get in the grocery under that name could be any crunchy flat-bottomed variety.

[scottfsmith]

Hey do these look like JT-02? I’m not 100% sure I have the right variety.

There’s only a couple fruits on the tree, as usual. Boy does it love to drop.

[TNHunter]

My JT02 a few weeks back.

First year to fruit.. if these hang on.

Got my scion from Dax best I remember.

Tree is in year 4 now.

TNHunter

[jrd51]

@scottfsmith

Hey do these look like JT-02?

I’d say yes. I’ve managed to harvest a lot of JT-02, maybe 150 fruits over 3 years. They look like a small PCNA kaki (haha, small Taishu maybe?).

Right now mine are only tiny buttons.

[jrd51]

@scottfsmith

From what I have seen all nurseries seem to be selling the same variety under that name. It’s an acorn-shaped persimmon which is PVNA and has brown flesh when pollinated.

My “Chocolate” from OGW has ripened acorn-shaped fruit, as described.

[scottfsmith]

Yours look like hexagons and mine don’t.. I don’t remember seeing anything like hexagons in past years either. Hmm. I looked up my source and it was Threefold Farm.

@jrd51 I’d be interested in what yours looked like in a few weeks when they are a similar maturity as mine are now.

I’ve noticed some significantly different opinions on JT-02 out there and wonder a bit if there was not a mix up somewhere..

[Ruben]

Here is a picture of my JT-02

[Robert]

@scottfsmith

There’s only a couple fruits on the tree, as usual. Boy does it love to drop.

It looks like Nikita’s Gift. Your description above also fits NG perfectly.

I still have little less than half that have not dropped on my NG, but it also likes to wait just before they turn orange to drop the rest.

[ncdabbler]

Here is my JT-02 - I got my scionwood from Cliff England. Mine has tended to drop a good number of fruit as well.

[scottfsmith]

Hmm, I don’t see a strong pattern here but mine look more like balls than the other ones.

I think we will just need to wait until they mature. I’ll post pics then and we can compare.

[jrd51]

@scottfsmith

I’d be interested in what yours looked like in a few weeks when they are a similar maturity as mine are now.

Sure, but don’t forget to remind me.

FYI, my scions of JT-02 came from ncdabbler. So our pictures / comments should be similar.

[ncdabbler]

Here in NC JT-02 fruit regularly develop black streaks as they ripen - sometimes more black than orange by the time they soften. The fruit have distinct lobes and are more squat/disc-shaped than round by the time they are mature.

[CarolinaZone]

The plot thickens and the hunt is on. I will just have to find a Tsurunoko tree and see. I have found a few different websites that said “chocolate” was this or that (maru, tsurunoko,…)

[scottfsmith]

I’ve also seen different synonyms, but the fruit they are picturing is always larger than Maru and acorn-shaped. So whatever it is consistent at least.

[scottfsmith]

That description of JT-02 doesn’t sound like mine, they have been more round when they mature and no lobes.

[jrd51]

FWIW, here’s last year’s crop of JT-02 still on the tree.

Later, here’re the same fruits, picked. I should say that I’m 90% sure that this is a my harvest of JT-02 from last year.

What I can say for sure is that my JT-02’s are more square (4-sided) than hexagonal (6-sided), that is a square with rounded corners. And the fruit is somewhat flat-bottomed not round.

[TNHunter]

It looks like perhaps JT02 fruit can vary in shape some.

@ncdabbler fruit (the one pictured above) seems to have 5 sides.

@jrd51 fruit … Many have 4 sides…some have 5 sides.

My fruit varies…

This one fruit low on my tree definately shows 6 sides.

This is what it looks like from the side.

Now low on the backside of my tree.. these twins are located and both are 4 sided similar to many of @jrd51 fruit and @Ruben fruit.

TNHunter

[jrd51]

@TNHunter

It looks like perhaps JT02 fruit can vary in shape some.

Yeah, good observation. I wonder if the presence of seeds impacts the shape.

[TNHunter]

@jrd51 .. I wondered that too..

But look what I found looking at younger blossoms just as fruit appears..

Notice 2 of those have 4 sides.. and 1 has 5 sides. 2 of them have 4 calyx petals… and one has 5.

TNHunter

[TNHunter]

Per google..

Yes, the number of calyx petals (botanically known as sepals) can vary

While a 4-lobed calyx is the standard and most common characteristic for both the American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) and the Asian persimmon (Diospyros kaki), it is common to find fruits with 3 to 5 petals/lobes.

…

And leave it to me to have one with 6 petals/lobes.

TNHunter