Can persimmons be grown in Seattle?

I understand there is a US native persimmon. There are also many other types. Does anyone have experience growing this fruit? It's delicious. I just tried the astringent one that has to be soft to be used. It had no seeds and I used the entire inside of the fruit. I scooped it out with a spoon. Couldn't be easier. And it is exremely sweet and wonderful and so I am now on a quest to grow it in my garden. What think you all?

A little desultory googling yielded no quick answer, though there IS a restaurant called Persimmons, in Seattle.

However, from scanning these links I found, I don't see any obvious reason they could not grow around here. I remember persimmon trees in the Santa Cruz mountains when I used to garden there.... worth a try!

Looks like climate wise here might be better for them than California.......

http://www.treetrail.net/diospyros.html

http://www.gardenguides.com/taxonomy/common-persimmon-diospyros-virginiana/

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/persimmon.html

This message was edited Jan 2, 2011 6:14 PM

Thanks Kyla, there is lots to read and I am wondering why I have never seen it grown. Like the paw paw, another native, and supposedly tasty though I've never tried it, it is unknown to me thus far. I hope someone will chime in who's actively growing it. It puzzles me that our natives should be so ignored. So far I have decided on the astringent one. Though it is not edible until soft it seems to be the sweeter one, amazingly sweet. Pawpaw and persimmon are on my list this year.

I will try to remember to ask when I go to the WICD plant sale in March, whether anyone there knows about this..... you might have to remind me by then tho. :)

Patti, I grew up in Central California, home of citrus, grapes, olives and at least two kinds of yummy persimmons. I like the ooey gooey ones best. They are a gorgeous color, keep you regular, and are great for baking quick breads and cookies. I am always wondering what I can grow here, and why or why not. Ever since I noticed all the gigantic fig trees here in Seattle, I feel it's all a matter of finding the right variety. Lots of people grow grapes here, too. I THOUGHT I saw a persimmon tree in fruit once, but we drove by too fast....Central California is famous for blazing hot and dry summers. Winters are the rainy season, with the occasional light freeze to worry the citrus growers,. and there are plenty of sunny days, too. This would be a wonderful topic of discussion for this thread. Martha Stewart was showing off her kumquat trees today (we also had those at home), but Miss Martha is very well equipped with greenhouses......My new home has almost no sunny spots in the garden, which really cramps my style, but I love my tall conifers. Persimmons were always a gorgeous staple along with pomegranates on the Thanksgiving groaning board. Any DG'ers in the PNW had luck with "exotics"?

Hi velveteena Yeah I am looking to expand on the kinds of fruit in my yard. I have a canadice grape that is quite successful with bountful bunches of grapes in the fall. They are seedless and tasty and tiny. You pick a bunch and suck on or pick off 20 at a time, they are so little. I gave up on my fig due to the ants always beating me to it. And few ever ripened. So, variety is key. There may be grapes and figs that would work for me. I'm also trying a self fertile kiwi. Nothing yet. Good luck finding your way within your microclimate.

http://www.raintreenursery.com/catalog/producttype.cfm?producttype=PERS

Raintree nursery sells many kinds ranging from zone 4 and up.

Patti, are the grapes you mention the small pinkish/ purplish ones that I always think of as champagne grapes (don't even know why...)? They are delectable. The neighbors across the alley have TALL bamboo, and the grapes come right over the top looking for me! My friends had great luck with the grape juice type grapes (a la Welch's)---sorry, my mind has gone blank for now. Too many seeds for eating, and I don't do jelly or wine (Mogen David, anyone?). Lovely in arrangements on the Thanksgiving table, though. Oh, yes. They're Concords.

Velveteena the canadice grapes I grow are very tasty and really more appropriate for juicing since they are so small. Yes they are pinkish/purplish. Bea thanks for the link. About my fig problem. Since I got rid of the one I had I have read that there are open and closed varieties. I don't remember if that is the correct terminology but it refers to the opening at the bottom of the fig fruit. Mine was an open type and that is why I had the ant problem. So I may look again for a fig. They are so luscious and very expensive at the market.