These hardy fruits grow well in Iowa
A gardening friend planted many fruit trees in the spring of 2009 and though the apples and pears are plentiful, the persimmon, paw paw and quince are still holding out.
This year, after the leaves had fallen, one lone persimmon was hanging on the tree. He ate it standing outside on that cool November day and pronounced it deliciously sweet.
I have never eaten a persimmon and didn’t think Iowa climate was right for this tree. It seems like it should grow in the Middle East or at least in just our southern states. But it turns out they grow in Connecticut and all the way west through Iowa.
So why has it taken so long for this tree to produce even one small fruit?
From Gardening Know How I found this answer. They say “Oriental persimmons bloom after five years but do not bear fruit until after seven years. Grafted trees bloom within two to three years. American persimmon may take several years to blossom and still not fruit for up to 10 years. Both American and Oriental persimmons have alternate year blooming and fruiting.”
Great news! Next year there’s hope it will be a banner year for his persimmon tree.
Persimmons are a fall crop and taste the best after a freeze as it brings out the sweetness in them. They like full sun, fertilizer in the spring and adequate water, especially the first couple years after planting.
Then what you need is patience.
Paw paw trees do grow nicely in our zone, though one thinks of them being more prevalent in the southern states. I have had pawpaw flavored ice cream and it was delicious. The fruit is greenish and it, too, likes a little frost to bring out the sweet taste.
Paw paw’s are called “understory trees”, as they like the sun, but will grow well in the shade of a taller tree. The fruit is creamy inside and tastes like a combination of bananas, pineapple and mangoes.
This tree needs to have a mate in order to produce fruit. It is not self-pollinating and that is why it is hard for it to set fruit. Bees are the best pollinators, but for some reason they don’t like to work with this tree. It relies on flies and bugs. Or one can pollinate by hand.
A quince tree grows best in the Middle East. The tree grows here in Iowa, but it doesn’t develop fruit easily. It is actually a hardy shrub and the fruit is not eaten easily in most cultivar. It is tough and must be cooked.
The claim to frame is the aroma it has, which is like vanilla, citrus and apples all together. It should be picked just before frost, but does need to ripen on the vine. Though yellow and shaped like an apple, it can have a fuzzy skin and ordinarily is not very appealing.
These are unusual trees, all with their own set of difficulties, so growing them can be tricky and less than fruitful (pun intended.) But if you like a challenge, they are something to think about next spring.