The upright growth of the common persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) allows for creative vertical accents in landscape design. Its foliage, with a subtle waxy blue hue, turns to golden yellow in fall, while bright orange fruits hang amidst the branches, creating a radiant scene. Like winter lanterns, the fruits remain after the leaves have fallen.
The Greek etymology, meaning “food of the gods,” hints at one of the sweetest fruits. When dried, it resembles dates, making it a great substitute for refined sugar. You can even create a molasses-like syrup from it. After the first frosts, when little else remains in the garden, its honeyed, spiced flavor melts in your mouth like soft caramel.
Better suited to cold than any grafted variety, our common persimmon, grown from seeds in Rawdon, have adapted well to their first winters in Lanaudière. Although seedlings vary, this carefully selected variety lets you dream of delicious fruit. One of the rare fruit trees that can tolerate flooding, it thrives in moist, well-drained conditions. North of southern Quebec and Montreal, however, it faces the risk of branch freeze. But here’s a consolation: the vitamin C-rich leaves, used like bay leaves, add a woody, camphor-like sweetness to dishes. With its early yield, we enjoyed fruits from a tree only a meter tall in our demonstration gardens!
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