Persimmon
Diospyros kaki
The humble persimmon has almost as much vitamin C as an orange and more fibre than an apple. So it’s worth giving this fruit a go. The greatest health benefits come from eating the old-fashioned astringent persimmons such as ‘Nightingale’ and ‘Dai Dai Maru’, but for most home gardeners you’ll get more value from one of the semi-dwarfing, non-astringents such as ‘Fuju’ or ‘Ichikikei Jiro’. The latter two can be eaten firm and crisp like an apple. All make superb ornamental trees, colouring brilliantly in autumn while bearing a mass of fruit. Persimmon trees are traditionally planted bare-rooted in winter, but they have a finicky root system and establish much better as potted specimens planted in mid-autumn.
