Uncommon Fruits

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Young persimmon trees grow fast, then settle down to a moderate growth rate as fruiting begins, eventually reaching a height of about fifty feet. Young trees need training so each main branch has sufficient space to develop, but once bearing has commenced, the trees naturally drop some branches that have fruited, so are somewhat self-pruning. (In the March, 1982 issue of MOTHER, we reported that planting wild mint around our persimmon trees was an unexpected companion-planting discov ery. Pests seemed to head for the high road once the mint was established around the base. Our only dilemma was, and is, keeping the mint from taking over the surrounding area once we planted it. It's a ferocious spreader, but a ring of rocks at the desired boundary seems to do the trick.)

P awpaw. I like to tell people that I have banana trees growing in my backyard, even though winter temperatures plummet to -30°F here. The trees are actually pawpaws, but they have been known as Hoosier or Michigan bananas—the tree is native to most of eastern U.S.—because the fruits have a taste and texture somewhat like a banana, with additional flavor hints of vanilla custard, pineapple, and mango. The fruits ripen in late summer or early fall.

Like persimmon, pawpaw has a long taproot, and must be transplanted similarly. Plant two pawpaws, because the lurid, purple flowers need cross pollination in order to set fruit. The trees need little pruning, only enough to remove dead or interfering branches and to stimulate some new growth each year.

Gooseberry and Red Currant. These are fruits that Europeans rave about, but which are practically unknown in America. This is not surprising since mostly inferior gooseberry varieties are sold here, and the fruits usually are picked unripe for cooking.

But pop a fresh, ripe Whitesmith, Hinnonmakis Yellow, or Achilles gooseberry into your mouth and you will taste why the best gooseberries have been compared to the best grapes in flavor. In seventeenth-century England, gooseberries were even raised commercially for fermenting into wine. Among the varieties in my garden are gooseberries that are green, white, yellow, red, and purple, with some fruits as large as small plums.

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