It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Japanese persimmons (and their less prestigious American cousins). I’ve planted three in my yard thus far and plan to plant more.

Though the non-astringent Fuyu types are nice, the astringent Hachiya types are persimmons for grownups.

This is the first fruit we’ve gotten off the tree I planted last spring:

Hachiya persimmons are beautiful, delicious and easy to grow.

Hachiya persimmon fruit are large and heart-shaped rather than being flatter like the Fuyus. Though you can’t eat them when they’re firm, the astringent types have an incredible rich and spicy complexity when they reach ripeness… not to mention an unbelievable sweetness.

Hachiya persimmons are also very good for drying unlike their Fuyu cousins.

I tried carrying astringent persimmon cultivars in my nursery this spring but found that almost everyone but me prefers the Fuyu types.

You know… I like my Hachiya persimmon tree so much I think I might start grafting buds on the native persimmon trees growing wild in my neighborhood.

Wouldn’t that be cool?

As for the fruit pictured above… it was carefully plucked when fully red orange, then sat on our windowsill in the kitchen until it became soft and semi-translucent.

It served as part of a wonderful breakfast a couple of days ago, along with some home-raised scrambled eggs and some chanterelle mushrooms I foraged from an empty lot.

Life is good.