If you found this spider in the daylight it most likely is not a Brown Recluse, but is one of the many other spiders that look kind of almost like the BR. Here is a link that might be useful: All about the Brown Recluse

Catherine, I have only seen the persimmon in California's Central Valley & south. Here's what the CA fruit growers say: "Origin: The oriental persimmon is native to China . . . It spread to Korea and Japan many years ago . . . The plant was introduced to California in the mid 1800's. "Adaptation: Persimmons do best in areas that have moderate winters and relatively mild summers--suitable for growing in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 to 10. It can tolerate temperatures of 0 F when fully dormant. However, because of its low chilling requirement (less than 100 hours), it may break dormancy during early warm spells only to be damaged by spring frosts later. The leaves are killed by 26°F when growing. Trees do not produce well in the high summer heat of desert regions, which may also sunburn the bark." They are pretty trees but that tendency to break dormancy after only a few warm days looks problematic. I find it interesting that the persimmon is classified in 2 groups - astringent and non-astringent. Boy, they've got good reason for that! Apparently, the astringent varieties are not necessarily bad - they just require full ripening. Conversely, non-astringent types are not necessarily good. Confusing . . . I enjoy whatever they have in the produce aisle when they are still somewhat crisp. I could be wrong but it looks from Wikipedia that the American persimmon isn't grown for fruit - golf clubs and billiard cues yes, fruit, perhaps no. The pawpaw is a different genus & species. See, that idea that fruit trees take too long has come back to bite you (I don't really know if that was your thinking, Catherine, but I've heard that so many times from younger people.) My apple butter is from a tree that I planted as a young guy at my place then promptly dug up and moved to my father's backyard. It is now about 35 years old. Actually, it is the last of the dwarf/semi-dwarf trees I moved there. I bought an apple for Mom & Dad not long after they moved to that house. It has been gone 6 or 8 years now. The Northern Spy survivor once had a sister which grew but didn't want to make fruit. Dad always seems too willing to attack trees with a chainsaw to my way of thinking. That tree went out the gate about 10 or 15 years ago. The French plum was damaged by a lawn mower incident and then began to have serious peach borer problems. It was such a fine tree that Dad cut it down and replaced it. That 2nd plum is now about 20 years old and usually produces really well. The peach tree didn't have borer problems but fire blight weakened it every year. It died without ever producing a single fruit. We planted a doughnut peach a couple of years ago. It is going great guns as is the white peach in my own backyard. I had big hopes for that one this year but it still hasn't set any fruit - only about 4 years old now. One thing seems to be for sure, as night follows day, seasons follow season . . . Like sands through the hourglass . . . blah, blah, blah . . . but even a little tree on dwarfing root-stock can ripen boxes and boxes of fruit after the kids have grown up and left . . . Okay, so that means they have a reason to show up during harvest anyway. digitS'

Yep, Linda, I've found their proclivity to provide profuse, prolonged, proliferate, profligate provisions and produce a problem. (You can tell I'm a real pro). And yes, as with broccoli, the leaves contain far more nutrients than the rest of the plant. (I mix the leaves with young dandelions and various lettuces and basil in a great tossed salad). Even worse than zukes and silverbeet for unrestrained growth...if only I could get the same results with tomatoes! Regards, Shax (who's run out of medication...)

Concur: Black Spanish whether the long type or the round type are hot. Most of the Asian winter radishes are mild. Some of these can be grown the spring, but are best for fall. Zone 8 or higher they will stand through the winter. In colder zones they can be stored like turnips. Both salad radishes and winter radishes are susceptible to cabbage root maggots. Other than that they are one of easiest veggies to grow. For a salad radish that is hot, medium size, longer standing, I would recommend icicle Most productive and tasty for me has been Pink Beauty. For a winter radish I like the Chinese Red Heart/Watermelon, Korean, Tae Baek, Japanese (daikon) Minowase.