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Gardening in the UK

Sharon fruit, again

20 years ago

Some time ago I asked your opinion re buying a sharon fruit or persimmon tree offered by a mail order company, and refrained from purchase because of the advice given (thanks).

Now I've managed to grow a tiny little plant from a seed from a shop-bought fruit - a bit special, as the fruit rarely has any seeds! So far, I have kept it on the kitchen window sill; it is about 7cm tall and has four leaves, fifth one budding.

Does anybody have any experience or expertise on this? I know that our brothers and sisters on the American forum will know more about it, but as I will be trying to grow this tree in the UK, this forum seems the most appropriate.

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Comments (8)

petmas
20 years ago
Hi I've never got the seeds (when found) to grow so lucky you. I've seen them growing around Bergerac in SW France, it just about scrapes freezing there. I've got various palms and similar from that area grown from seed picked up and they have survived OK the last 3 years outside here, near the sea but still hit -4 a couple of times. Pete
anyanka
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanks, Pete. Your climate is probably quite similar to ours - I'm near the Sussex border (Gatwick area).

I checked out some info on the web, and it seems that the trees can take temperatures down to -15C (5F). I'll keep it sheltered as long as possible though, to be on the safe side.
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Wouldn't be the first time you ordered one thing and got another. It happens most often with started plants. I refer to having to buy rather than start from seed as "plant roulette". This year I got a "chile de arbol" that was clearly actually some kind of Thai pepper; a mini-orange bell that is GINORMOUS and not orange; the other alleged mini-orange bell appears to be something like an Anaheim; and an eggplant that was only identified as "oriental" but appears to be Slim Jim or something similar instead. It MIGHT be Millionaire - but I thought those grow in clusters, and these don't. That leaves one eggplant that was probably what the label said, and a tomato plant that was identified as "early girl", think, and I have no idea whether or not it is. And a yellow cayenne that definitely IS a yellow cayenne. Everything else is either questionable or definitely not what it was labeled, LOL!
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pineresin
20 years ago
Winters no problem, but it needs a baking hot summer (3-4 months of 30Â°C) for the fruit to mature.

Very sensitive to overwatering when in a pot.

Resin
anyanka
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanks, very useful. I'll be happy if it just grows, fruit would be a bonus.
hrp1000
19 years ago
hi - just found this thread. I have sprouted three seeds from a sharon fruit, and
was wondering what anyanka's experience was with hers, which would be about a year older than mine!
pineresin
19 years ago
Plant it outdoors - it'll grow well enough, though don't expect any fruit.

Since I posted back last April, I saw there is a mature specimen (about 7 or 8 metres tall) growing outdoors in Edinburgh Royal Botanic Gardens. So it can take the British climate OK, as far as vegetative growth is concerned. No fruit on it, though.

Resin
newtonhouse
19 years ago
Hi just a thought- my mum brought some dried wild persimmon berries from pakistan (about the size of a big rasberry and are a common popular snack, similar in taste/texture to dates or figs) i believe that this is the original fruit from which sharon fruits have been cultivated - the berries were full of seeds and some ended up in the garden - she now has a persimmon tree that is about 5ft tall (8years) and numerous smaller seedlings that have been pulled up- the weather does not seem to affect it as we are in the north of England- according to my mum they grow in the areas favoured by apricots walnuts etc mainly in the northern kashmir regions of pakistan and need quite a few years to develop to full maturity
pineresin
19 years ago
"i believe that this is the original fruit from which sharon fruits have been cultivated"

A different species, actually - Diospyros lotus, as opposed to D. kaki.

Resin

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