'Meader' American Persimmon

Meader American Persimmon produces medium-sized, deep orange fruit with a very sweet, rich flavour once fully ripe. The fruit is excellent for fresh eating, drying, baking, and traditional puddings, and crops are consistent and abundant.

This is an astringent persimmon, so the fruit must be allowed to soften before eating; when ripe, the astringency disappears and the flesh becomes custard-like and sweet. A rare trait of 'Meader' is its self-fertility, allowing it to bear reliably even as a single tree.

Named after breeder Elwyn Meader in the 1950s, this cultivar is among the most cold-hardy persimmons, and trees are relatively compact compared to other American persimmons, maturing at about 15-25 feet tall. 

Common names: Meader American Persimmon, American Persimmon

Edible: Fruit
Harvest timing: September - October (mid-season)

Scientific name: Diospyros virginiana 'Meader'
Light requirements: Full sun 
Full-grown size: 15-25' tall x 12-20' wide
Hardiness: Zone 4
Pollination: Self-fertile
Wildlife: Flowers provide nectar for pollinators; fruit attracts birds, deer, raccoons, and other wildlife.
Origin: Species native to eastern and central North America. Variety developed by Elwyn Meader at the University of New Hampshire in the 1950s.
Noteworthy: Self-fertile. Very cold hardy.