For the record - Princess Persimmon from seed and flowering

[Bonsai Nut]

I started propagating princess persimmons when I arrived in NC in 2020. I just wanted to let people know that some of my year four seedlings are flowering this spring. I had previously heard estimates of six or seven years... or even "never" Over the next few years I will keep track of how many bloom at which age... and whether they are male or female.

 

[vp999]

Thats really awesome man !!!!!

 

[Canada Bonsai]

I will keep track of how many bloom at which age... and whether they are male or female

Thank you for sharing and keeping track! Following this closely

 

[Pitoon]

Now you can determine if you have males or females. I wouldn't mind trying to pick up a female or two since I have that giant male.

 

[namnhi]

I thought I would know if the tree is male or female by looking at the flower. I was surprised by seeing fruits from a tree that I convinced was a male tree. Am not complaining!
Now I have a question... how do you get the male and female to flower at the same time?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I thought I would know if the tree is male or female by looking at the flower. I was surprised by seeing fruits from a tree that I convinced was a male tree. Am not complaining!
Now I have a question... how do you get the male and female to flower at the same time?

I wondered the same thing, because last year my large male flowered earlier than the female. However I put both trees on the same shelf directly next to one another, and this year they flowered at exactly the same time. So who knows?

 

[Yamabudoudanshi]

Cool project. PP are great.

I have a pretty old one that was sold to me as a femail, but it's never flowered.

Any idea what's up with that?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Cool project. PP are great.

I have a pretty old one that was sold to me as a femail, but it's never flowered.

Any idea what's up with that?

Both males and females should flower - regardless of whether another plant is present. If the plant is strong and healthy, and is getting plenty of sun, I have no idea why it might not flower.

A local persimmon here in the US - the American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) supposedly won't flower if it doesn't get enough phosphorous. I don't know if this information is applicable to Princess persimmon - or whether you are already fertilizing your plant.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Thread update... It's a girl!

From my 2020 crop (five year old trees) I had 11% flower this spring, with only a single confirmed female (1 out of 101 seedlings). That one female has 11 fruit. Interestingly, the flowering trees are not uniformly the largest of the seedlings - some of the largest seedlings did not flower.

I did not observe a single flower on any of my four year-old (or younger) trees.

 

[leatherback]

Great! At what point do you know that the fruits have set?
I have no male plants. I have one female plant, which has dozens of flowers. When will I know whether this does indeed fruit without male presence? The first which flowercaps have dropped, so far so good..

My seedlings are all 1 year old. Plent of time to ponder.

 

[ChefB]

These grow great in southern Louisiana! I have a couple root cuttings to take off this lady. When is the best time to take them?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

These grow great in southern Louisiana! I have a couple root cuttings to take off this lady. When is the best time to take them?

I would normally take them when I repot in the early spring.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Great! At what point do you know that the fruits have set?

Here in Zone 8A my trees start to flower in mid to late March, and the fruit is visibly apparent by late April. Note: I have a large landscape female and large landscape male so I took all my seedlings that were flowering and put them right next to the larger trees that were flowering to increase the odds of pollination.

 

[Maguila]

I started propagating princess persimmons when I arrived in NC in 2020. I just wanted to let people know that some of my year four seedlings are flowering this spring. I had previously heard estimates of six or seven years... or even "never" Over the next few years I will keep track of how many bloom at which age... and whether they are male or female.

View attachment 534136

I started propagating princess persimmons when I arrived in NC in 2020. I just wanted to let people know that some of my year four seedlings are flowering this spring. I had previously heard estimates of six or seven years... or even "never" Over the next few years I will keep track of how many bloom at which age... and whether they are male or female.

View attachment 534136

sweet! One of my favorite species! Where in nc? Any fro sale? I won’t mind getting a female from you.