Persimmon 'Nikita's Gift'

A small tree growing to 3.5m high or so in Britain. 

Nikita's Gift is a modern hybrid American/ Asian persimmon, developed specifically to be productive in cooler climates with shorter summers.

It bears delicious medium-sized edible fruits (persimmons or Sharon fruits) which ripen from September to December; they are astringent until fully ripe. Fruits are orange/red at first, ripening to burgundy. Pulp is Bordeaux-red, sweet & very tasty, and after maturity has jam consistency.

The fruits and bark are used medicinally.

 Needs a sheltered, hot site and good soil but is very frost hardy after establishing.

Beautiful autumn foliage, followed by orange jewel-like fruits adorning the bare branches as they ripen - a very striking tree!