Persimmon

Persimmon Diospyros kaki
Description: Yellow leaves, deep orange persimmon fruit, autumn is here. And a few times a week we delve into the delicious persimmon for dessert. I love the look of this tree- although if you are lucky the branches can sometimes break themselves down under the weight of the fruit The fruit is great when it is really overly ripe. The Persimmon tree foliage is interesting in both the spring when it comes out with a pink tint as well as the autumn when it turns yellow as it falls. Trees can take a number of years to start producing persimmons. A deciduous tree, the persimmon is part of the Ebony family, known for its exceptionally hard black wood that was once used in making piano keys. It's a highly decorative tree, with a semi-weeping habit, and the foliage is often used by florists in flower arrangements. In autumn it's a blaze of colour - reds, oranges and yellows - as we go into autumn. Persimmon trees can reach a height of 7m. The fruit of the persimmon grows to about the size of an apple, starting out yellow, then turning an orange, even red, as it starts to ripen from April to May or June, depending on the where you are.

Size: A small tree 4-7m tall

Care: Persimmons need an open, sunny spot to grow best - about 3 to 4 metres away from neighbouring trees - so they can spread. Buy them in a pot or a bag. They are susceptible to Cinnamon Fungus, phytophthora rot, so really good drainage is important. They thrive in frosty climates.

Plant your persimmon in a sheltered area, away from the wind, because the tree's wood is brittle and can split when in heavy crop.
Insects are rarely a problem but in the tropics, fruit fly can be a threat. Birds and possums are partial to the fruit, so the tree may need to be netted for protection. Flowers form on the new season's growth, which means the fruit-bearing area always occurs on the outside of the tree. So the tree will benefit from a light prune every year.

Types: There are two types of persimmon - the non-astringent type that can be eaten as soon as it colours up - and the astringent one. Look out for one called ‘Nightingale’ but wait until it goes really soft in the flesh. There are a huge range of persimmons to buy from the greengrocer when in season or to grow in your garden. For non-astringent types look out for ‘Fuyu’ - it looks beautiful and is quite crispy and good to eat like an apple – and ‘Jiro’, which has spectacular coloured fruit. Of the astringent types there's ‘Nightingale’ and the ‘Dai Dai Maru’. It is the tannins in the astringent persimmons make them inedible until they become really soft and juicy, just like sweet apricot jam.

To eat: When it’s time to harvest, make sure you remove fruit with the secateurs - if you just pull them off, you will damage the fruit.
To ripen hard fruit put in a bowl with a ripe apple or banana, and the ethylene from those fruit will help ripen the persimmon quickly. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon and bon apetite!