By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

The Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki) is worthy growing for its beauty alone even if you don't think you like the fruit.  Our Western Garden Book summarizes its virtues this way:

"It reaches 30 ft. tall (or more) and at at least as wide.  Has a handsome branch pattern and is one of the best fruit trees for ornamental use; makes a good small shade tree and is suitable for espalier.  Leaves are light green when new, maturing to dark green, leathery ovals 6-7 in. long.  Foliage turns vivid yellow, orange or red in fall (even in mild climates).  After leaves drop, brilliant orange-scarlet, 3-4-in. fruits brighten the tree for weeks and persist until winter unless harvest."

If you live in Orange County or close by, you can find out more about persimmons at the annual Persimmon Party held in Pitcher Park in Old Towne section of the city of Orange.  It will be held this coming Sunday, November 15th, noon to 3 p.m.  There will be fruit and baked goods for sale and other persimmon products -- persimmon salsa sounds intriguing.

Pitcher Park, if you've never been there, is pretty charming all by itself actually.  It's a small park in the middle of a residential area that shows evidence of its original rural origins.  When Henry and Grace Pitcher gifted the property to the city of Orange, the city decided to maintain the barn -- it is now the Orange County Fire Museum.  They also retained Henry's original honey house, where the Orange County Beekeepers have an exhibit and store gear.  Here's a hint of what Pitcher Park looks like.

If you can't come to the Persimmon Party, but I've made you hungry for persimmons, try some of Sunset's persimmon recipes.  Or try this Persimmon and Cinammon Oatmeal recipe I found on the White on Rice Couple blog while browsing for a full image of a persimmon tree. (The top left photo is their image.  So are the two below.)