North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Jwlehman@aol.com]

Regarding the persimmons -- don't they also produce rhizomes? I'm going to let Lon answer this one as he has the degree. But to my definition no, no rhizomes. If the tree or root system is severely injured or cut off they will send up many shoots. 

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 
persevering rhizome connections, then returning with a mechanical tree 
digger. Doesn't surprise me one bit. A problem with using shoots for grafting, many never develop a balanced root system relying for nurishment on the lateral from which it sprung up. Then in a few years they tilt or roll in the ground then eventually fall over. One can use those shoots but I don't recommend it. 

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. I live south of Terre Haute, only 60 miles south of your location. Persimmon range normally in your area. I don't believe it is a single parent tree, seeds likely came from nearby. 

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. JC McDaniel was a Prof. at the college and worked with persimmon. You may have run across some of his work, but I've been told his trees were dozed out some years back for a building project. But someone near could have taken a lead from him and planted trees. Ennis seedless is a named cultivar as well as seedless. It could not be Meader as Meader is fully seeded when 90 chromosome virginiana pollen is present and I'd think there is plenty of it in your area. Some seedless persimmons occur naturally in random populations. 
Rob Scott
Urbana, IL

Jerry