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Peach; Nectarine (Prunus persica)

Categories Harvest & Use
Peaches are one of the most frequently canned fruits. Like most yellow-orange produce, they are high in vitamin A. Romans ground the kernels to make poison. The kernel contains hydrogen cyanide, which interferes with the transport of oxygen by the blood and with the energizing effect of the ATP molecule. (Atkins:127)
Appearance
The leaves are slender and deep green, the flowers white or pink, usually showy.
Cultivation
Peaches tend to be hardier than nectarines. Both adore nitrogen. Genetic dwarfs are easier to maintain than full-sized trees, with a yield roughly 1/3 as large. Standard-sized peaches bear fruit exclusively on the previous year's growth and so require pruning, but genetic dwarfs do not. For standards, pruning should aim to keep the center of the tree open to minimize fungi. For large size, thin some fruit when it is golf-ball sized. Peaches are prone to many problems, particularly leaf curl (caused by excessive spring moisture), brown rot, powdery mildew, and borers. Lawn under the tree fosters peach borer larvae: heavy mulching is the reported, low-tech solution. The oriental fruit moth can be punished by planting strawberries (attracts predators) and ragweed (attracts parasitic wasps). Most varieties need 600-900 chill hours; genetic dwarfs need less chilling than standards.
Comment
The peach is native to Asia, where its cultivation began circa 800 BCE. The Chinese believe peaches impart long life. The peach came to southern Europe through Persia during the reign of Augustus, and notable cultivars were developed under the reign of Louis XIV, king of France and gluttony. The Romans called the peach Persicum malum, Persicum meaning "Persian" and leading to the word "peach" (malum meant "apple" and also any fruit in general). "Nectarine" probably comes from the German nektarpfirsich meaning "nectar-peach." Escoffier named peach melba after the Australian soprano Dame Nellie Melba. The fruit has various Freudian conotations: In Baum's Lost Princess of Oz, the girl-princess Ozma is transformed by a dirty old sorcerer into an fabulously luscious peach (it gets worse: she's the golden pit of the peach which is eaten by a boy who keeps the pit in his pocket). Nectarines are peaches with a genetic "flaw."
Cultivars of Repute
Standards
* Arctic Supreme: renowned for flavor and size, ripens in late August.
* Belle of Georgia: tree is vigorous, with multi-purpose white-fleshed fruit; reported to withstand -20¡ F (Kourik: 140).
* Bounty: an improved version of 'Loring' (a popular commercial variety).
* Charlotte: leaf-curl resistant, ripens in late August.
* Elberta: The fruit has yellow-pink skin and is multi-purpose. The tree is disease resistant.
* Fantasia (nectarine): The fruit is large and yellow-skinned with red blush and smooth flesh. Prone to bacterial leaf spot. 500 chill hours.
* Frost: yellow flesh, resists leaf-curl (see also 'Charlotte'), ripens mid-August.
* Harken: fruits have top flavor, ripening early in August. It is good for canning. Needs 850 chill hours.
* Harko (nectarine): A hardy nectarine with red skinned, yellow fleshed fruit ripening in mid-August.
* Mary Jane: red fruit with yellow flesh, ripening in August; resists leaf curl.
* Red Gold (nectarine): productive; red-skinned fruit. Needs 850 chill hours.
* Reliance: hardiest peach, consistently withstands -20¡ F and below (Kourik: 140); better for canning and freezing than fresh eating.
* Sentry: developed on the East Coast, and commercially popular there, due its early ripening (late July), large fruit, and resistance to bruising.
... many more.
Dwarfs
* Bonanza II: yellow fruit with red blush. Pink self-fruitful blossoms. Needs 400 chill hours.
* Golden Gem
* Golden Prolific (nectarine)
* Honey Babe: yellow skin with red blush and dense foliage on 5' tree. Needs 500 chill hours and may not be self-fruitful. Best in zones 6-9.
* Necta Zee: early ripening nectarine with red fruit
General References
[C= cultivation; R = recipes; L = lore; A = all]
* Grigson [R,L]
* Kourik [C]

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Pear, Asian; Sand Pear; Apple Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia)

Categories Harvest & Use
Unlike European pears, good flavor comes from ripening on the tree. The fruit is very crisp and good in salads. Asian pears are best stored in the refrigerator; russetted varieties tend to keep longer and ripen later. The trees should be spaced at least 12' apart.
Appearance
Trees have dark green leaves and many white blossoms; some varieties have good fall color. The fruit is usually yellow or russeted.
Cultivation
Asian pears are slightly self-fruitful. They tolerate wet soil well. They can be pruned to either a central leader or open center: they need some sort of sturdy framework. They also tend to overbear (when pollinized), so annual thinning is required for full sized fruit. Most varieties require 600 chill hours; 'Yali' is a low-chill variety (as is 'Tsu Li').
Comment
The Chinese have cultivated Asian pears for millennia. Chinese gold prospectors introduced the pears to the American West. P. pyrifolia, the "Japanese" variety, is the most common of the Asian pears; P. ussuriensis is a "Chinese" variety (actually a species) that is hardy to zone 2 and below.
Cultivars of Repute
A few grafted varieties are available on dwarfing rootstock. Asian and European pears are biologically capable of pollinizing each other, but Asian pears often finish blooming by the time Europeans get started. For cross-pollination between the pear species, avoid teaming early bloomers among the Asians, such as 'Seuri' and 'Yali', with late bloomers among the Europeans, such as 'Bosc,' Comice' and 'Ubileen.'
* Chojuro: late blooming. The fruit is russeted with thick, slightly astringent skin. It ripens in mid-September and keeps well.
* Hosui: vigorous spreading selection with russeted fruit that keeps well.
* Nijeseiki ('Twentieth Century'): a widely sold yellow-skinned variety that ripens late August or early September.
* Seuri: a productive, fireblight-resistant and cold hardy variety with very large orange fruit that ripens in October and does not keep well. This variety blooms very early and is best planted with another early bloomer such as 'Yali'; it won't reliably pollinize any European pear.
* Shinseiki ('New Century'): similar to Nijeseiki, not as flavorful, but earlier ripening (mid-August) and perhaps more disease resistant. 400 chill hours.
* Shinsui: vigorous upright tree with russetted fruit, small juicy and sweet.
* Yali: A hardy variety with deep red fall foliage. The fruit is pyriform, yellow, and ripens in October. This early-blooming variety is a reliable pollinizer only for 'Seuri' and other early blooming varieties (not Europeans). Needs 200-550 chill hours.
* Some P. ussuriensis varieties are listed by Reich: 'Ta-Shian-Sui-li', 'Chien-Pai-Li', 'Sian-Sui-Li', and 'An-Li'. I haven't found a nursery that carries any of these, although seedling P. ussuriensis is often used as a rootstock (the fruit of seedlings is reputedly poor). Hardy to zone 2 and below.
General References
[C= cultivation; R = recipes; L = lore; A = all]
* Kourik [C, R]
* Reich [C, L]
* Schneider [R]

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Pear, European (Pyrus communis)

Categories Harvest & Use
Tree-ripened European pears are inferior: the fruit is picked when full-sized and ripened on the shelf. Pears are a recurrent element in French cuisine. They are often canned. They go well with apples in cooking. Standard pear trees take several years to bear fruit; dwarfs and certain cultivars can bear more quickly. Pear pollen is supposed to be non-consequential for allergy sufferers. Space trees at least 15' apart.
Appearance
Flowers are prolific and white. The tree is strongly upright. Believe it or not, the fruit is pyriform.
Cultivation
Pears tolerate wet soil well. Bees don't tolerate pears well, though, so for best pollination plant the trees close together. Pears are usually pruned to a "central leader." Apples and pears are susceptible to a wide range of difficult-to-control blights. If the fruit is plagued by maggots, collect and dispose of the infected fruit. Powdery mildew is a white fungus on leaves and shoots causing stunted new growth. Most varieties require 600-1000 chill hours.
Comment
The Greeks cultivated pears as early as 800 BCE; their cultivation is mentioned in the Odyssey. Ancient Romans made pear cider as an antidote to poison; legions of fatally poisoned Romans may explain the drink's demise (although it reportedly goes well with mushrooms). The first orchard Thomas Jefferson planted at Monticello consisted of pears, apples, almonds, apricots, nectarines, quinces, pomegranates, figs, and some species of walnut.
Cultivars of Repute
Asian and European pears are biologically capable of pollinizing each other, but most Asian pears finish blooming by the time most Europeans get started. For cross-pollination between the pear species, avoid pearing (sorry) early bloomers among the Asians, such as 'Seuri' and 'Yali', withn late bloomers among the Europeans, such as 'Comice' and 'Ubileen.'
* Bartlett: ripens midseason, stores poorly. Bartlett blooms early; it won't pollinize Seckel. The fruit tolerates intense sun better than average. USDA zones 5-7.
* Comice: Yellow, juicy flavor, excellent fresh; will keep until January. Resists fireblight. Best in mild winters. Comice blooms very late, so it isn't a reliable pollinizer for early blooming varieties. Ripens in early October.
* Conference: the classic French pear. An extremely productive variety, ripening in early October. The large yellow fruit is juicy, sweet and rich, and will keep into January. The tree blooms early and will cross-pollinate with most Asian pears.
* Flemish Beauty: yellow red fruit, very cold hardy.
* Highland: ripens late, keeps well: top flavor is reached after a month of storage. The fruit is large, yellow and sweet; the tree is productive, and blooms a little later than average. [4-8]
* Magness: yellow, tough skin, sweet flesh, fireblight resistant. Blooms early enough to be pollinized by a late blooming Asian variety, but is (for all pears) a poor pollinizer itself.
* Morettini: early bloom, ripens in August. Should be a good pollinizer with Asian pears, poor for late-blooming varieties such as Comice and Bosc. The fruit is yellow with hints of red, and a rich sweet taste.
* Rescue: fireblight resistant, late blooming. The fruit is large and yellow with bright red blush and smooth juicy flesh, ripening in early September and keeping until December. It has a small core which makes for easy canning. The tree is upright, vigorous.
* Seckel: The small fruit is sweet yet spicy, ripening midseason. The tree is very hardy and resists fireblight. Won't pollinize Bartlett.
* Ubileen: An early ripener (but not bloomer), usually picked in late July and ripening in early August. The large fruit is yellow with red blush and a buttery texture. Disease resistant.
* Anjou (stores well), Bosc (late blooming & ripening), Shipova (a late-blooming, scab-resistant cross between pear and mountain ash)...more all the time.
General References
[C= cultivation; R = recipes; L = lore; A = all]
* Grigson [R,L]
* Kourik [C]

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Pecan (Carya illinoensis)

Categories Harvest & Use
Nuts don't fall naturally, and must be knocked down with a pole. Native Americans used the oil as a seasoning. Pecan nuts are a good source of zinc, thiamin, and that old standby, fat. The wood underperforms that of other hickories in every respect. The pecan is a classic shade tree.
Appearance
Pecans typically grow 80' tall and 60' wide. The bark is smoother and thinner than that of other Carya (hickory) species
Cultivation
The pecan likes the rich, loose soil typical of river basins. It won't tolerate salinity; it isn't enamored of humidity either. Low soil zinc levels affect it badly, causing stunted growth and malformed nuts. The nuts need a long hot summer season to mature. A pecan tree will produce lightly without cross-pollination. Unlike most hickories, pecans are sometimes browsed by deer. Pests include pecan weevils, scale, and aphids. It's best to buy locally, as varieties are highly adapted to specific regions. Propagation is by budding and stem grafting; varieties don't grow true to seed. Requires 300-1200 chill hours.
Comment
The pecan thrives in Mississippi River delta; the pawpaw is a common understory tree in the wild. Southeast Native American tribes believed the pecan tree to be the manifestation of the Great Spirit; the name derives from various related Indian names. Australia and Hawaii are nurturing pecan industries. The pecan is in the same genus as the hickories.
Cultivars of Repute
Cape Fear, Choctaw, Cheyenne (smaller than average), Giles, Major, Western-Schley. The nuts of Sure Crop Northern, Lucas, and Major will ripen with less heat than most (still can't expect anything in, say, Seattle though). It's best to buy locally, as varieties are adapted to specific regions. Pecan-Hickory hybrids bear lightly, but in cooler regions than pecans.

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Persimmon, American (Diospyros virginiana)

Categories Harvest & Use
Mushy when ripe (and astringent when not ripe, due to tannin). Good to eat frozen; reportedly soothes digestion. Native Americans used the seeds in bread. For storage, "pick" the fruit by cutting the stem and leaving it intact; store just above freezing. The mallard, turkey,
bobwhite, pileated woodpecker, yellow-bellied sapsucker, mockingbird,
gray catbird, American robin, eastern bluebird, cedar waxwing,
yellow-rumped warbler eat the fruit.
Appearance
Dark green leaves will turn fiery in fall even in mild climates. The orange fruits hang onto the tree well into winter. American persimmon fruits are smaller than those of the oriental persimmon--about the size and shape of a flattish apricot.
Cultivation
American persimmons come in "northern" and "southern" varieties, which cannot pollinize each other: A male pollinizer is required for fruit. The American persimmon is more shade-tolerant than the Asian. Both are prone to sunscald, especially in sharp snowy winters, and both tolerate drought once established. They are usually pruned to an open center or modified central leader. Propagation: cuttings, suckers, grafts. Persimmons will ripen in cold weather as long as the days remain sunny; for rainy autumn regions, choose an early-ripening variety. 300 chill hours.
Comment
The American persimmon is native as far west as Kansas, and from New England to Georgia. Thomas Hariot, a scientist in the second (1585) Roanoke expedition to the New World, described the persimmon: "as red as cherries and very sweet: but whereas the cherie is sharpe and sweet, they are lushious sweet." In 1607 Capt. John Smith of the Jamestown colony wrote:

The fruit is like a medlar; it is first green then yellow and red when it is ripe: if it is not ripe it will drive a man's mouth awrie with much torment, but when it is ripe it is as delicious as the apricock.

The Algonquins dried the fruit for winter use; the name "persimmon" is of Algonquin origin. Persimmons belong to the ebony family, and have the hard but brittle wood of that family.
Cultivars of Repute
* Craggs: late ripening; large fruit.
* Florence: A prolific bearer with occasional male flowers. The fruits have small seeds.
* Garretson: excellent flavor. Occasional seedless fruit without pollination; ripens in October.
* John Rick: large flavorful fruit ripening in late October.
* Meader: The most self-fruitful variety, it also pollinizes other varieties. The fruit is medium sized and ripens in early October. Very hardy (down to -30 F).
* Morris Burton: small delicious fruits with few seeds.
* Wabash: small red fruit with few seeds and top flavor when fresh. Red fall foliage.
General References
[C= cultivation; R = recipes; L = lore; A = all]
* Reich [C, L]

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Persimmon, Oriental; Kaki (Diospyros kaki)

Categories Harvest & Use
"Pick" the fruit when it is ripe or near-ripe by cutting the stem. Astringent cultivars are astringent until they are fully ripe, at which time they will have the consistency of a slightly over-ripe tomato, but if they are mushy they will lack flavor. Non-astringent varieties can be eaten crisp. Near-ripe persimmons will ripen well off the tree. The standard drying method is to hanging the fruit, peeled, in a dry, warm place. Persimmons are also good frozen. They are high in vitamin A.

In the sixth grade Mrs. Walker
slapped the back of my head
and made me stand in the corner
for not knowing the difference
between persimmon and precision.
How to choose

persimmons. This is precision.
Ripe ones are soft and brown-spotted.
Sniff the bottoms. The sweet one
will be fragrant. How to eat:
put the knife away, lay down newspaper.
Peel the skin tenderly, not to tear the meat.
Chew the skin, suck it,
and swallow. Now, eat
the meat of the fruit,
so sweet,
all of it, to the heart.

-- excerpted from "Persimmons," by Li-Young Lee,

Appearance
The large, glossy dark green leaves will turn fiery in fall even in mild climates. The flowers are about 1 1/2" across, inconspicuous from a distance, but interesting upon examination: the five outer petals are leathery and green (the color helps obscure them among the leaves); fitted inside the outer casing are five stiff yellow petals about an inch across. Flowering is in early summer. The bark is a pleasantly smooth, light gray. The bright orange, 2 to 3 inch-wide fruit hangs onto the tree well into winter, brightening otherwise barren landscapes.
Cultivation
The Kaki is choosier about soil condition than the American persimmon. The long taproot makes transplanting hazardous; bareroot persimmons are best planted in spring. They usually don't ripen until around the first frost. They will ripen only so long as the days remain sunny; for areas with rainy autumns, choose an early-ripening variety. Unestablished trees require regular watering, and break dormancy very late in spring. Young trees are very susceptible to sunscald. Established trees are drought tolerant. The branches are brittle and subject to splitting. Persimmons belong to the ebony family, and boast the hard wood one expects of that family. They are usually pruned to an open center or modified central leader. Asian persimmons require 200 chill hours.
Comment
The genus name "diospyros" translates as "food of the gods." As with the American persimmon, tannins make the fruit astringent until gaining the softness of an over-ripe tomato; a few varieties are non-astringent and can be eaten crisp like an apple (I prefer the soft and mushy kind). The orange color of the persimmon is due to carotenes in the fruit. (Carotenes, by the way, are in almost all plant leaves; when the chlorophyl decays in fall, the dominant colorizing molecule that remains is carotene, hence the yellow color of autumn leaves).
Cultivars of Repute
Astringent until mushy soft, unless otherwise noted.
* Eureka: medium-sized, deep red fruit; hardy through zone 5.
* Giboshi: also known as 'Smith's Best'; produces most prolifically if pollinized, which results in a flavorful, chocolate-colored fruit with seeds (unpollinated fruit is seedless); probably hardy through zone 6.
* Fuyu: non-astringent. More prolific if pollinized. Ripens in early November. sometimes confused with 'Jiro'.
* Great Wall: reddish fruits, early ripening, also called 'Atoma'; hardy through zone 6.
* Hachiya: The fruit is large and flavorful. This is the most common variety.
* Ichi Ki Kei Jiro: A dwarf variety that is non-astringent and early ripening. Good for areas with short growing seasons. Seedling of 'Jiro'.
* Izu: A very early-ripening dwarf with non-astringent, medium quality and quantity fruit. Good for areas with short growing seasons. It is reported by some as self-fertile and others as requiring cross-pollination.
* Jiro: this variety is sometimes confused with 'Fuyu'--both bear large, reddish, tasty non-astringent fruit. 'Jiro' ripens a week earlier than 'Fuyu' and is the parent of 'Ichi Ki Kei Jiro'. Hardy to warm end of zone 7; does well in hot summer areas.
* Saijo: Very hardy. A consistent bearer of very sweet, small fruits that ripen in late October and early November; hardy to -15¡ F.
General References
[C= cultivation; R = recipes; L = lore; A = all]
* Kourik [C, R]
* Reich [C, L]
* Schneider [R]
* Simmons [C]

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Pineapple Guava; Feijoa (Feijoa sellowiana)

Categories Harvest & Use
The flower petals are delicious, and if picked without harming the stamen, can be harvested without harm to fruiting. They taste like cinnamon cotton-candy. The fruit is high in iodine and potassium. It has a minty pineapple taste, ripens very late, usually late November, and requires a long growing season. It is good fresh, as a jelly, and is often made into fruit leather; it is not well suited to canning or cooking. The red, edible flowers attract various small birds, but apparently not hummingbirds (which usually make a hummingbirdline for red flowers).
Appearance
A slow-growing evergreen, the dark green oval leaves are about 2" long, thick, with a light gray-green underside. The fuschia-like flowers are pink and red, and come in early summer. Fruit is green (sometimes bluishly so), oblong, about 2-3" across. The tree is typically Y-shaped, 10 to 15 ft. high and wide.
Cultivation
On its own roots, feijoa will survive temperatures down to 12¡ F (-10 C). The fruit ripens in late October or November, so it needs a long growing season. Drought will cause fruit-drop; like the apple, the quality of unshaded fruit deteriorates in intense heat. Summer temperatures in the 80¡ F range are ideal. Less than 75 chilling hours in winter can reduce fruit-production and increase suceptibility to frost damage in spring. A great deal of disagreement exists over whether birds or bees are the principal pollinators of feijoa in North America; most growers suggest hand-pollination. Fruit is borne on new growth.
Comment
The pineapple guava is native to southern Brazil and northern Argentina; it isn't a true guava (or pineapple). The German explorer Sellow discovered it in 1819 (hence its botanical name). The feijoa is commercially cultivated a little around San Francisco, and in New Zealand.
Cultivars of Repute
Coolidge, Nazemetz (reported by some to produce better with cross-pollination), Pineapple Gem, Trask (described as semi-self-fertile by some, not-at-all-self-fertile by others).
General References
[C= cultivation; R = recipes; L = lore; A = all]
* Schneider [R]
* Simmons [C]

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Next Section

Pear, Asian; Sand Pear; Apple Pear Pyrus pyrifolia Persimmon, American Diospyros virginiana Pistachio Pistacia vera