Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It is indeed a persimmon. Once ripe they will be very sweet and good to eat. Trying to eat one that isn't ripe will make your mouth and tongue feel numb/dry for a couple minutes.
Thanks TB. I think some of the fruit has ripened already (soft and darker) while some is still quite firm. I'm anxious to give it a try now that I know what it is!
My guess was persimmon also, based on the leaves, because I had a persimmon in my yard, and although the fruit was about twice as big as yours, the leaves looked the same.
Notice I said "had".....I cut that sucker down because (a) the falling fruit made a horrible, stinky, yellow jacket-attracting mess every fall, and it was close to my back door, and (b) the seeds are incredibly prolific....came up all in my flower beds by the thousands every spring, and also spread to other parts of my yard (still have several more to cut down at the back of my yard!)
You may not have these problems because yours is out in the middle of the yard where you can keep it mown around, and you possibly will harvest the fruit anyway (though raccoons may harvest it first....and also spread the seeds for you!). The fruit on my tree was a beautiful orangey-gold color when it was ripe, but that was the only good thing about it!
To quote the great Daffy Duck: " Thanks for the sour persimmons, cousin."
How far north do they grow and would they make a decent container plant, say the size of a fig tree?( 5 to 6 feet tall)
Hi to Lynn38! I grew up east of Fayetteville, NC & it does look like a Persimmon tree. If you do deside to bite in & taste one WATCH OUT...if it isn't entirely ripened. It's extremely BITTER! Bitter like I've never experienced!! I had to drink plenty of water. They are a hardwood tree which needs no upkeep. If it is indeed a Persimmon tree, it needs no care, no H2O, no pruning, etc. The ones at my Granma's just popped up and then wanted another one for it's companion. lol
these native persimmons aren't the greatest for eating fresh, but they make good preserves/jams. to me they taste a little like apricots. a nice tree to have around, the wood is super-hard, too.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
