In my experience – I’ve successfully grafted three or four dozen Asian persimmons over the last few years onto American rootstock and had about that many failures before that plus some more failures mixed in with my successes – if an American persimmon rootstock is given any chance to grow anywhere but the Asian graft, then it will abort the Asian graft, so I wouldn’t hold any hope for grafting an Asian persimmon into an American persimmon unless I planned to graft the whole tree over to Asian.
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I visited the bearing Meader persimmon tree yesterday and saw the it’s crop was dropping, probably just getting going. It had lost a major 4" limb from crop load! The fruit I was able to find on the ground and shake off the tree were very good. I also picked the first persimmon off my seedling tree. The fruit is quite small, maybe I should name it ‘Thumbelina’ it had a good flavor.
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A friend also brought a small sample of Szukiis fruit to a gathering, so I was able to try a bit of that one as well. It seemed to have a bit more of a refined flavor,
It was heaven. That’s the first one and first bite.
Thanks, Bob.
Dax
Good to know cousin. So the nurse branch theory doesn’t apply to persimmon grafting I guess? I was going to graft all but one branch, just because I wanted to taste American persimmon too. But I guess I shouldn’t do that. If anything I can graft everything to Asian and after everything starts to grow I can chop off one of the Asians. Probably don’t need to do that because I’m sure I’ll have enough failures to leave me with my original tree.
A nice haul from the Meader tree this year, it is loosing branches and a big limb due to crop load, winds, and now, maybe coons.
Some pretty ones
All are seedless
Last but not least, here’s one I picked from the seedling tree in my yard, with a Meader for scale, seedling fruit is on the right. They are almost ripe now, maybe as the 8’ tree matures the size will increase and ripen earlier (hoping). Just about the cutest little things, these have an elongated shape.
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All my grafted trees put on very nice growth this year, ones in the nursery row will be a challenge to dig as some are over 1" caliper at the base.
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Congrats Jesse! And, seedless!
Dax
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If anyone finds a successful persimmon that actually ripens in the North, and which would ripen and be hardy in the Minneapolis area, let me know. I planted PrimeArk Freedom blackberries, which grow great, but don’t ripen in time here, so am hesitant to plant something that might not ripen by winter. My mom only used persimmons for cookies. I didn’t realize they are good for fresh eating.
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had the same problem here. not a long enough growing season. even some elderberry varieties that are z3 rated, don’t ripen early enough before the frost kills them. you would think with the longer daylight hours here in the north during growing season would make up for this.
A friend with decades of all plants knowledge grew Meader in/near Minneapolis. I asked him about it and he said, “Grew it from 1998 to 2011. It died that winter not from low temperature (it had easily survived colder temps before), but from some other “non-normal” factor(s). Every spring I would wonder if it had died because it leafed out so very very late. Never did find out if that was normal for the species (this is a hint, please…), I wondered if it was a perennial winter root damage problem. Anyway, it never had any winter twig dieback, and after the first year or two of sparse fruiting, it was quite prolific, and the fruit incredibly yummy. Up here, the fruit pretty much stays on the tree, even into December, and in my expreience, it ages and candies up best while on the tree.”
I would recommend you buy the largest tree you can for Spring planting.
Dax
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Thanks, Dax. Can’t decide if I want to shell out the money. Have plenty of space.
It’s worth it.
Ask Jesse. 
Dax
Update on my persimmons after a very snowy, yet mild (-13F)winter- no tip dieback on any of them, but significant SW injury on many of my grafts. This has happened before, but I didnt recognize it. Vertical splits in the bark, around 1-2’ up from the ground (still plenty of grafted material below to regrow), in some cases the damge looks like it will girdle the shoot. This damage occurs on 1st year wood, and I now know that I should paint my young 'simmon trunks before winter. Strangely, similar sited, sized seedlings do not have this issue. Grafting well above the snow line might be another way to aviod this scenario.
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Jesse how far up would your snow line be?
This year we had a snow pack that went up 3.5’, but the damaged zone was around 1.5’ from soil line. So the SW injury must have happened early or (later) in the season. Still plenty on the ground now, and guess what…snowing again now! Gotta love spring in Maine.
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This was Catawba SC yesterday at 40F we got snow from that bomb cyclone that’s headed your way
I have never seen snow at 40F it was super crazy then we dropped down to 33 for about 3 hours before finally heating up to around 60F. Freaky weather this spring.
I hope painting your trees will help reduce the winter injury and this storm don’t dump too much more snow on you.
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Thanks for reporting on your experience thus far. I’m eager to see how your persimmons continue to develop.
Did you try painting? Just curious what you found out. I’ve had winter splits on southern persimmon (1-2’ up), but not northern ones.
Jesse Glad your trialing some seeds for your area
I may have a few
Barkslip In Lisle Mortum Arboretum has a tree must be 75 years old at least
it is on the way on the road as you drive up they ripen there.
I often have to bring that up to people, that think they will not grow here.
I do not have land for growing out a bunch but
I am also trying to see what seeds do best may graft over , but leave a branch to see if some are Okay
I might just wild plant these or sell around here as neighbor hood trees
I like the story of one avocado one guy just grew avocado ,and found some good varieties by just giving seed tree’s to all his neighbors. (the internet is not being the best source right now , but I thought it was yates by memory)
aand hass was suppose to be grafted over
and the nursery man said he should of left it because the graft broke and the tree was vigourous
edit I hope doesn’t seem off topic
just think it’s nice to keep a eye on a tree if it seems to be a vigorous grower,
(dark thick leaves might be a tetriploid extra chromosomes or otherwise doubled)
Oh, and these seeds can be eaten baked like Pumpkin seeds( or sautte perhaps)
(not tried yet I would of but got my wild mixxed up with ones I wanted to trial outside,)
Also pressed for oil.
If you do not like the texture
In A smoothy they taste like sherbert Ice cream
some type(s) dry on the trees (not sure if that one is available for sale yet , but I ate it 36 brix)
I am not the fan of very sweet things, but sometimes I crave it (like dates)
but to cut the sweetness Peanut butter is good .
Drinking a persimmon wine aged for the late Jack Keller the most popular winemaking site by record.