American Persimmon

American Persimmon

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TOPIC: Diospyros virginiana - common or American persimmon
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/176c0adc7189d2d2?hl=en
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== 1 of 3 ==
Date: Sat, May 31 2008 7:53 am
From: persimmonpudding

Howdy folks...I'm interested in all big Diospyros virginiana (common
or American persimmon). To be truthful, I'm also interested in the
other Diospyros spp., but my focus is on D. virginiana.

I just finished seeing the champ in Portsmouth Ohio and hope to hit
the MO champ soon. Oddly enough, my own state will not tell me the
location of the KY champ. Anyway, I'm interested in starting to
measure trees, I saw a thread on the Nikon Prostaff 440 Laser
Rangefinder and wondered whether it was still the preferred laser
rangefinder amongst the ENTS? I'm a beginner with respect to tree
measurements and would like to start out on the right foot. In the
meantime, I'd like to hear about your big persimmons!

---
persimmonpudding.com: dedicated to growing, education, and use of
Diospyros virginiana L., the common, or American persimmon

http://www.persimmonpudding.com

P. O. Box 21182
Louisville, KY USA 40221

== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Sat, May 31 2008 3:44 pm
From: Beth Koebel

The MO champ is only 120' tall not the 133' that is
reported. I was just there 2 days ago and the park is
still very wet/flooded.

Beth

== 3 of 3 ==
Date: Sat, May 31 2008 4:29 pm
From: "Bruce Allen"

I think the national champ is in the Congaree National Park in South
Carolina

Bruce

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TOPIC: Diospyros virginiana - common persimmon big tree synthesis and
information request...
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/e51b3808a671daa7?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sat, Jun 7 2008 12:59 pm
From: webmaster@persimmonpudding.com

I am creating a synthesis of big persimmons (Diospyros virginiana) on my site. I currently have information for:

Alabama
Arkansas
Connecticut
Delaware
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Maryland
Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
Nevada
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia
West Virginia
Wisconsin

Additionally, the following places also have native or cultivated persimmons and I can't find any related big persimmon info:

California
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Louisiana
Nebraska
New Hampshire
New Jersey
Oregon
Rhode Island
Utah
Washington DC

...as well as the following non-US countries:

Austria
Canada (Ontario...so far)
Spain
France
Russia
England

I am also interested in ANY big persimmons regardless of whether they are the state or national champs.

The information listed for some trees can be scant, for other states...coordinates. I wonder if there have been a discussion on whether it is a good idea to be too specific with regards to location...at least in a publicly available list. Anyone?

Barry Nichols
persimmonpudding.com
---
persimmonpudding.com: dedicated to growing, education, and use of Diospyros virginiana L., the common, or American persimmon
http://www.persimmonpudding.com

P. O. Box 21182
Louisville, KY USA 40221

== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Jun 8 2008 8:57 am
From: webmaster@persimmonpudding.com

One of the problems with persimmon is that in the areas I've been in, it often was at a premium for loggers (along with walnuts & hickories). These areas, and those razed for roads, stream work, pipelines, etc... usually get planted mostly in robotrees....green ash and red maple types among others. Since most planting schemes require standing stems per acre, the replanting process is geared towards those which will take over quickly. Add to that the process for choosing planters typically falls on construction contractors and in my experience, most mortality happens there. So in impaired systems it can be difficult to find persimmons...especially moreso than say walnuts & hickories.

You really haven't seen any natives? What portions of PA do you haunt? May I take from your comments that you're in northern PA?

Barry Nichols
persimmonpudding.com
---
persimmonpudding.com: dedicated to growing, education, and use of Diospyros virginiana L., the common, or American persimmon
http://www.persimmonpudding.com

P. O. Box 21182
Louisville, KY USA 40221

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Mon, Jun 9 2008 7:28 pm
From: webmaster@persimmonpudding.com

Scott wrote:
> I am in Se Pa outside of Philadelphia. I have been in woods in
> Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks, Lancaster and Berks counties.
> Wasn't the main need for Persimmon wood golf club heads?

It was used extensively for them, and when the golf world went to metal woods <scratching head>, the market for the wood plunged. A local company (Louisville) has brought renewed interest in persimmon wood and they seem to be doing well.

But...it has been used for shoe lasts, shuttles, knife and tool handles, drumsticks, fifes, for guitars and similar instruments (substitute for ebony and/or rosewood), turning, ...basically anything requiring a hard, durable wood with a tight, attractive grain.

> The only place I have ever seen Persimmon
> growing natively was in Va., outside of Leesburg along the Potomac
> River. It was rampant there.

Interesting. I'm always looking for them and have not yet seen a situation this dire. While I find them growing in most habitats, they really seem to do best in bottomlands.

> I don't know if it would interest you,
> but the Persimmon growing at Pennsbury (William Penn's homestead) is
> a cultivar that doesn't require frost to make the fruit edible. The
> tree came from Princeton Nurseries in the 1940's they believe.

I'm absolutely interested...both in wild-types as well as cultivars. I had not heard of this particular tree but will do some checking...THANKS!

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