They're big persimmons

Photo by Randy Moll The giant fuyu persimmon is nearly the size of a baseball and, from a distance, might look like oranges ripening on a tree. They are much larger than the native American persimmon.
Photo by Randy Moll The giant fuyu persimmon is nearly the size of a baseball and, from a distance, might look like oranges ripening on a tree. They are much larger than the native American persimmon.

n To passers by, it almost looked like oranges growing in Northwest Arkansas.

HIGHFILL -- People driving through Highfill on Arkansas Highway 12 might have thought they were seeing a tree with ripening oranges on it as they passed the Loy Sullivan home on North Main Street, but a closer look would reveal the fruit was of the persimmon variety -- not the native common American variety but a giant fuyu Asian variety cultivated for its large, sweet fall fruit.

According to Caleb Jech, the tree had much more fruit last year -- enough to take some of it to the Sleepy Hollow store in Gentry. This year, there are fewer persimmons but the orange-colored baseball-sized fruit stand out against the green leaves of the small tree.

The tree is grafted to safeguard it against nematodes in the soil and is pretty much disease resistant. And the fruit, unlike the astringent persimmons, can be eaten before fully ripe and soft.

Persimmons, whether the native American variety or Asian varieties, are loved for their sugary sweetness when the fruit is ripe and soft. They are eaten fresh or dried, cooked or raw.

Native Americans used persimmons by drying them and adding them to breads, soups and porridge. European settlers baked persimmons into pies, cakes, puddings and made a variety of alcoholic drinks.

The Eagle Observer received news that Loy Sullivan, known for his gardening, died the day after these photos were taken. His obituary is on Page 2A.

General News on 10/29/2014