Diospyros kaki Nikita’s Gift - Persimmon

Diospyros kaki Nikita's Gift is a fruit tree that combines the fruit qualities of the Japanese persimmon and the very good cold resistance of the American persimmon. This elegant tree offers a remarkable autumn spectacle with its flamboyant foliage and brightly coloured fruits remaining attached to the branches, even after the leaves have fallen. It is a variety known as astringent, which means that the fruit should be consumed when it becomes over-ripe and soft. It then loses its unpleasant astringent taste to make way for very aromatic sweet flavours. The fruit is of medium size, about 6 to 8 cm (2 to 3in) in diameter, and can weigh 80 to 120 grams. The skin is fairly thin and turns from green to orange when ripe, and then red when over-ripe. The orange-red flesh is tender, juicy, sweet, slightly fibrous and very flavourful with few or no seeds. The persimmon is enjoyable to eat raw in early winter or to use in various sweet or savoury recipes. The tree is self-fertile, so it is not necessary to plant another persimmon nearby to obtain fruit. It is not prone to diseases, is resistant to drought, and requires almost no maintenance.

Diospyros kaki is also known as the Persimmon or Kaki, or sometimes called the Persimmon Fig or Chinese Persimmon. It belongs to the Ebony family, like Ebony (Diospyros ebenum), with which it has one thing in common: very hard wood. Its name comes from the combination of the Greek words " Dios " (god) and " Pyros " (wheat). It is native to the Far East, particularly southern China where it has been cultivated for over 2000 years. Diospyros kaki is said to have been introduced to Europe by Joseph Banks, a botanist, who brought it back during Captain Cook's first voyage around 1768. The persimmon is the preferred fruit in many Asian countries, especially China, Korea, and Japan. It is grown in southern France, Israel, and Spain (Valencia region).

The Nikita's Gift variety, also known as Nikiskaya Bordovaya, originated from Ukraine, and some specimens are found in the Nikita Botanical Garden near Yalta in Crimea. It is a hybrid between an American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) and a Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki). To date, it is one of the best persimmon hybrids and is widespread around the world, including in cold regions like Lithuania. This persimmon tree forms a vigorous, moderately slow-growing tree with a spreading habit, reaching approximately 5 to 6 metres (16 to 20 feet) high and 3 to 5 metres (10 to 16 feet) wide at maturity. It has a long lifespan, up to 100 years, and its wood becomes highly decorative with pale grey to brown bark that peels with age. Its habit is suitable for free forms on high or low stems. The deciduous foliage consists of large, ovate, pointed leaves with prominent veins. They are slightly leathery, shiny, hairy on the underside and dark green, turning autumnal shades of yellow and red. Flowering occurs around May-June, escaping spring frosts. It is a monoecious tree that produces both male and female flowers, but they are separate. The highly nectar-rich flowers are cream to pale yellow and single, measuring approximately 1.5 to 2 cm (1in) in diameter. They appear on the current year's shoots and are attached to the branch by a very short stalk. The larger, solitary female flowers occur on stronger branches, while male flowers are smaller and grouped in clusters of 2 or 3 on finer branches. This fruit tree can produce fruits from the fertilisation of female flowers by male flowers, or fruits can develop without pollination by parthenocarpy: the female flower is not fertilised, but the fruit still develops without seeds. It is a very hardy tree that can withstand temperatures around -25°C (-13°F). To ensure proper fruit ripening, it needs good sunlight.

The fruits of Nikita's Gift persimmon are harvested as soon as they turn reddish, from mid-October, and the harvest continues until the first frost, as they ripen. With relatively quick fruiting, around 3 to 4 years, optimal production of persimmons is achieved after 6 to 8 years. An adult persimmon tree (between 10 and 20 years old) produces an average of 50 to 70 kilograms of fruit per year. Since persimmons are fragile, they are harvested with a picking pole or manually with care. They should be consumed quickly when ripe and slightly soft to the touch. Their flavour is significantly enhanced and their astringency is much reduced when they are harvested over-ripe after a light frost, at which point the skin is no longer astringent. It is also possible to harvest them when still firm and allow them to ripen indoors, wrapped in newspaper with the stem pointing down, near apples. For longer storage, storing at low temperatures (-1 to +1°C (33.8°F)) allows the fruit to be kept for 2 to 4 months. Persimmons lose their astringency when dried, so they can be stored in this form.

Persimmons, with their soft, smooth, and honey-like flesh, can be eaten fresh, scooped with a spoon. They blend well in fruit salads. In cooking, they reveal all their flavours when transformed into jam, compote, jelly, or used to make crumbles, cakes, or as accompaniments to savoury dishes. The leaves can be used to make persimmon leaf tea, a commonly served infusion, sometimes mixed with camellia tea, in China, Korea, and Japan. Low in acidity and low in calories, persimmons are particularly rich in carbohydrates, fibre, and carotenoids. They are also rich in antioxidants, provitamin A, and minerals (copper and potassium, calcium, phosphorus), and in smaller quantities, magnesium, sodium, and trace elements.

With its advantages, the persimmon should be planted in the garden, on a lawn, in an orchard, or as part of an edible hedge. It is very ornamental with its spreading habit and can provide shade in summer. It brings a lot of pleasure to the owner. You can easily find the variety that suits you among a wide range of persimmons.