My favorite native fruit tree is the American persimmon - wildlife love them, pollinators love them, they are a host plant for at least 14 moth species, deer will browse the leaves and twigs when they can reach them, and they grow just about anywhere. Made a short video about them and included a cool story about persimmons and a flying squirrel. I usually don't include stuff like that in my videos but thought I would give it a try.

Hope you like it! Let me now what you thought.

Anthony

Anthony Another good post on how to plant for wildlife .Many good intentioned people like to feed wildlife when the weather gets rough during the winter time . But the best way to address the issue is to plant items that wildlife want .In my younger years before I knew better I planted a few persimmon trees in my back yard They are a Japanese variety The grew quickly and have been producing well for more than 15 years .There is about 15 acres of woodland adjoining my property and a large amount of farmland connected to that woodland Ideal to support a good number of deer . And those deer love persimmons . And as you mentioned many other critters eat them often .They produce every year and some of mind still retain some fruit into Feb So the food source remains until it drops in late winter Great information in your video I like the flying Squirrel also .If you spent time in the outdoors you will see some of the most unexpected things you would never think of on your own. Here is a buck that visited my persimmon trees this fall

w side rd 151 - Thank you for the feedback! That persimmon tree in the video with the deer and coons is about the only spot in that woodlot with bare dirt under it. The critters just wear it out form September until about January. I grow some from seed too, which I get from another area in the neighboring county. That tree is in a front yard in an old subdivision and is one of the heaviest bearing American persimmons I have ever seen. When we collect persimmons for pulping out to use in baked goods that is where we go. Takes no time to fill up a five gallon bucket with fruit. I plan to graft a few from that tree too so I have known sex trees to plant out. I have several on the farm, but way more males than females.

I sure wish they could be grown here in Minnesota

It isn't just the wildlife that like them... I've eaten my share of them when I was out hunting/scouting.

Mike

330 Trapper - They will grow, but the first really harsh winter will take them out. I know people that try to grow them in the far northern states and they always end up dead.

Mike in A-town - They are tasty. We use them in several types of baked goods like muffins, pudding, cake, bread.

Anthony, thanks for taking the time to make and post these videos.
I really enjoy them.

K-zoo You are welcome! Glad you are enjoying them.

Here are 2 other visitors to my backyard trees .And the ground under those trees it looks like a barn yard covered with deer tracks Also I have never had a problem with a late spring frost that killed the fruit So ever year there is always some fruit hanging come fall .

.And the best part of planting trees ,shrubs and perennial grasses is once established they may require some maintenance from time to time .But mostly they just take care of themselves on a yearly basis ..

w side rd 151 - That is the nice thing about persimmon, it usually flowers late enough that frost doesn't get it. I rarely see a persimmon tree that I know is a good producer having a bad year, not to mention having a failure to fruit completely. They are super reliable.

I think the song goes:

Possum in the simmon tree-
raccoon's on the ground-
raccoon says you sun-of-gun!
Shake some simmons down.

Good video Anthony. Thanks for sharing.

Some of the nurseries claim zone 4 but I've never saw one here. I actually ordered two this year to try but I think I may cancel the order

Donnersurvivor - It sems many nurseries are listing it as Zone 4-9, but I have never seen them in the far northern states. They might hang on for a few years but the first really harsh winter will end them. When I deal with native species I don't even worry about or look at zones - I go strictly by where they are recorded as growing and I try to get seed from as close to where I live as possible.

I've got some american persimmons on my place in zone 7. They have survived -13F

They can take down to -25 - but not for any extended time. Of course size of the tree and how well established it is also plays into it.

Persimmons also never go fully dormant so this has an impact on how far north they can survive. Most of the members of the plant family American persimmon is part of, the Ebony family, are found in the tropics. We just happen to have one that can survive some cold, but not too much cold.

Thank you, Anthony T for the research you put into this subject.

run - Thanks for watching the videos! There will be more to come.