What kind of tree is this?

[DuckHunt]

I've spent quite a bit of time in the outdoors and I don't think I've ever came across one of these before.

What kind of tree is this?

It has a fruit like item growing on it. The fruit are a bit bigger than a grape or olive, but are firm when green on the tree. They aren't big enough to be persimmons. But then again, I am in West Virginia. In Arkansas the persimmons get bigger than golf balls. Maybe they just don't get as big around here. The ones on the ground have turned a reddish purple, but everything in the tree is green. Persimmons tend to turn a shade of orange when ripe. None of the fruit are bigger than a quarter.

I know deer will eat these. I've seen deer under the tree.







Any clues?

DuckHunt

[Big Pard]

It looks like a persimmon tree

[sumner4991]

X2

The fruit shouldn't be falling like that.

My parents have a plum tree and the fruit didn't mature and it fell off the tree early this year. We are guessing the late frost hurt it. However, a neighbor has the identical plum tree and his fruit was fine.

Anyway, that tree is a persimmon. Wish it was on my hunting property.

[groundpounder]

It looks like a persimmon tree

X3
Big Pard and Sumner have it right. And also that it shouldn't be falling off green. Persimmons turn orange and get soft and mushy when they drop. Lots of animals will eat them. Around here they usually drop towards the end of our bow season.

[DuckHunt]

Anyway, that tree is a persimmon. Wish it was on my hunting property.

Me too. Its within bow range of my porch. I've lived here 5 years and never noticed it till I had the round-up out killing poison oak. Now I know why I have frequently seen deer standing in that area.

Maybe the climate here just isn't cut out for it. The persimmons are half the size of the ones in Arkansas. It has plenty on it, but I've never seen them turn the orange color I would expect to see in the fall.

DuckHunt

[wabi]

Persimmon.

Here's a pic from the one in my yard -

IMG_0030.JPG

A lot of the fruits dropped before they developed this year, I figure the wet weather had a lot to do with it. The pic shows some dark colored "blossoms" to the right of the persimmon that didn't produce fruit.
We also didn't get much of a peach crop this year, the apple crop was poor, but the pears did well. (been canning pears & pear sauce this week)

[sumner4991]

How about the rainfall . . .been dry? It could be shedding due to the lack of water.

[foofoo]

years ago when i was the new guy at my job the fellas told me to try a green persimmon. said it was the sweetest fruit you could find. my mouth dried up like the desert and i couldnt speak for a couple minutes. funny stuff

[Big Pard]

Have you had any wind lately? Sometimes heavy winds will cause them to fall early.

[DuckHunt]

We had a tornado within a quarter mile a couple weeks ago. That could explain some of them on the ground. It has also been quite dry. Most of my yard is brown. The tree is in a low area, so it should be getting enough water. Occasionally too much could be an issue.

I just found it odd because I haven't seen any persimmon trees in my travels around these parts before.

DuckHunt

[huntone]

All I know is that the persimmon is a a deer magnet! The best place I found to set my deer cameras up is under one of my persimmon trees.

The deer will go to persimmons during the whole time they are falling and keep comming back even when the persimmons are all gone, just to check.

I've had pics of some nice bucks that I never had a pic of untill they were under one of the persimmon trees, even during the rut!




Not a big buck, but I love the look on his face as he eats a persimmon!

[wabi]

How about the rainfall . . .been dry? It could be shedding due to the lack of water.

Sumner,
We had a very wet spring here. It's looking like a fairly dry - hot summer, but the fruits on my persimmon tree just seemed to turn dark & drop before they developed. Still have some, but nothing like years past. I'd guess 1/6th the normal production. I did have to top the tree after a storm broke a big limb off and stripped a lot of bark. Perhaps the shock to the tree affected the production???

BTW - my pawpaw trees right next to the persimmon tree are loaded with fruit this year. I've heard deer will eat them, too.
(on the farm I hunt I think the deer & coon line up under the pawpaw trees when the fruits look like they are starting to ripen)