For those of you who took a stab at the Name that Seed post they were seeds from a Common Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)! In the fall you can see these fruit trees laden with orange pulpy fruit. According to my Field Guide to Trees from the National Audubon Society persimmon trees grow up to 70 feet tall with and thrive in dry uplands, roadsides, fields, clearings and mixed forests which sounds like our Tennessee countryside.
The Indians would dry the fruits and save them like prunes. The genus name is a derivative of greek and means “Fruit of the God Zeus.” Apparently someone really liked them!
At my in-laws house there is a tall persimmon tree just off the driveway which makes it perfect for seed collecting. The fruits fall to the ground and dry up on the driveway leaving behind the little seeds. Persimmon seeds need a period of cold followed by warmth to germinate called stratification. There are two ways that I stratify seeds. The first way is to place the seeds in mixture of peat and vermiculite or peat and sand then place it all into a plastic bag that can be sealed. Moisten the soil enough so that it is damp but not soaked then close the bag and store it in the refrigerator until spring. Then plant it in the ground. The second way (which is much easier) is to plant the seeds in a pot stored outdoors. In the spring check for germination and transplant anything that has grown into its own pot then leave the pot alone until next year. This is what I just did for some Japanese maple seeds. I used the refrigerator method for redbuds last year and did get one to germinate. I’ll use the second method with these seed just to see if I can get any to grow.
Winter Garden Update: It’s planted, I’ll tell you what I did very soon! Also if you drew a plan up for the Winter Gardening Design Post let me know and I’ll can link to it!
I don’t believe I have ever seen that fruit……….I would have never known.
Too cool! Great on everyone who got it right, and not so great to me who got it wrong. Ha!
I got it wrong. Oh my word! I was sure it was watermelon.
Hi Dave, wonderful tree. There is one growing in a roadside ditch near us that is thirty feet tall at least and covered in fruit late summer. The wildlife picks it clean pretty fast, but what a gorgeous color is the fruit. Great tree for your property!
Frances
Hi! I have a number of persimmon seeds planted in a flat on the deck in hopes that there will be some action in the spring. I love the color of the fruit and from what I hear it is VERY delicious.
Darla,
They are pretty common around Tennessee. You can drive down the road and see little orange fruits everywhere in the trees.
Tina,
What was your guess? It could have been a lot of things!
Anna,
It does look like a watermelon seed. It’s hard to tell from the picture but it’s larger than watermelon seeds.
Frances,
The persimmons do go quick! They are tricky to pick at the right time. Too early and they are astringent but the birds don’t mind.
Kathy,
That’s just what I intend to do! I’ve heard they are good as well but have never tried one. The tree at my in-laws house is too tall to get any fruit until it falls. Once the fruit has fallen they get squished. It’s hard to eat a squishy fruit on the driveway. 😉
I thought for sure hyacinth bean seeds:(
Hi Dave,
It’s a very fine tree…I have one but it doesn’t set fruit…lots of messy flowers. Not sure if it’s male or female but it needs a partner! Gail
It is generally best to wait until the fruit falls off the tree to eat it. that is when it is sweetest. if you pick it off the tree, it will likely be unripe and astringent and taste like chalk – not a pleasant experience. you can cover the ground beneath the tree with straw so that the fruit has a soft place to land. this will help keep the fruit from splitting and going bad.