North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["robscott@freeshell.org" <robscott@freeshell.org>]

Regarding the persimmons -- don't they also produce rhizomes?

There is a grove of Persimmon trees here, reportedly all the trees are 
clones (attached by rhizomes underneath) from an original parent tree 25 
years old. Attempts to transplant "seedlings" revealed that they were 
suckers and 0% of transplant attempts were successful. They even tried 
presevering rhizome connections, then returning with a mechanical tree 
digger.

Here's my puzzle: If this single parent generated this whole grove of 
root sprouts, it must've produced both types of flower at some point, for 
there are now Persimmon trees all over the nearby viscinity. The original 
trees were volunteers, and I've identified them as wild (unselected) D. 
virginiana . I'm in Zone 5b, Illinois.

Second puzzle: I discovered a University of Illinois Persimmon patch from 
the 1960s or 70s that is loaded with seedless virginiana Persimmons which 
are likely a named cultivar -- any ideas? Golf ball sized & even ripening.

Rob Scott
Urbana, IL