Persimmon fruit, native to Asia. Temperate/subtropical. D. kaki and D. virginiana are the most common domestic fruit tree species. D. lotus, less common.
Edible fruit, native to Asia, orange when ripe. There are two major species, D. kaki, and D. virginiana. Not sure which one this is. I'll know when fruit mature.
Fruit tree, native to Asia, common household fruit tree in this area. Fruit orange when ripe. Size and taste vary. Can be used to make jam or eaten out of hand.
Apple tree in someone's yard, on your right-hand side when walking downhill on Grizzly Peak when it meets Cragmont.
Fruit tree, bearing, seen in someone's yard at 611 Grizzly Peak.
Fruit tree see in someone's yard at 639 Grizzly Peak.
Fruit tree, native to Asia, related to Mabolo, Black Sapote, Lotus, Ebony wood. Seen in driveway at 747 Hilldale Ave.
Fruit tree, bearing, in driveway at 767 Hilldale Ave, Berkeley, California.
A lesser known Diospyros species, related to Persimmon, Black Sapote, Ebony, Mabolo. Photographed in Ljubljana, at the municipal botanical garden.
Eriobotrya japonica, fruit tree from Asia. Fruit are tasty, eaten out of hand, or used to make jams, marmalade, etc. Size and quality of fruit varies considerably.
Lemon tree, bearing fruit, at 112 Spruce Street, Berkeley, California
A hybrid between Passiflora caerulea and Passiflora amethystina.
The banana passionfruit, deriving from the Tacsonia supergenus. Said to have great nectar. At the corner of Walnut and Virginia you will find a Student Garden, this vine is growing a long the fence that runs up Virginia.
Fruit of the Diospyros genus, in the Ebenaceae family. Related to Mabolo, Ebony, and Black Sapote.
Persimmon, a fruit of the Diospyros genus, belonging to the family Ebenaceae. Related to Black Sapote and Ebony.
Mature, bearing Pear tree planted at 55 Sunset Lane, Berkeley, California.
Actinidiaceae, Actinidia indica, Kiwifruit
The Actinidia genus contains over 400 species, most of which are native to East Asia, China in particular. Although the Chinese collected and used the fruit from the wild for thousands of years, the New Zealanders are responsible for growing and developing various kiwifruits.
Different Actinidia species vary widely, in color, shape, size and edibility. Most kiwi vary in their cold hardiness. Until the mid 1880s the main cultivated kiwifruit was Actinidia chinensis var. hispida.
The first A. chinensis fruits in New Zealand were derived from a few seeds from a single fruit brought from China by a woman named Miss Isabel Fraser. It is thus highly possible that most commercial kiwifruits grown around the world originate fromt his single fruit, also indicating that the genetic base of the fruit is very limited.
One of the main reasons kiwifruit have seen so much commercial popularity is because they store so well, from 4-6 months at freezing. This makes shipping easier and the fruit can be transported around the world.
Kiwis are primarily grown in New Zealand, California, Italy, Japan, France, Chile, China, Spain, Greece, and Israel.
Kiwi vines are vigorous and long-lived. A healthy vine will typically grow 6-8 meters wide and 3-4 meters tall. The trunk becomes woody and can measure more then 20 cm in diameter when mature.
The vine is deciduous. Leaves are large, dark green, and hairy. As leaves mature they loose hairs on their upper surface and develop a distinct, white downy surface with light colored veins.
The flowers are large (16-20 cm diameter), creamy white, and often fragrant. Flowers are born singly or in small clusters. See Photo.
Plants are usually dioecious, meaning they need more then one plant in order to cross-pollinate and bear fruit. Hermaphroditic varieties do exist. Bees are the usual pollinators however, unfortunately for Kiwi growers, bees aren’t particularly attracted to the flowers, thus the presence of a nearby hive, or hand-pollination, will increase fruit-set and fruit-size.
Fruit size is proportional to the number of pollinated embryos, and thus the number of seeds. A kiwi needs more then 1000 embryos to be pollinated to become a good-sized fruit.
Male and female plants can be of different species and still cross-pollinate, but in order to do so their flowers must open simultaneously.
The fruit is oval, both the shape and size of a chicken egg. They have a brown, fuzzy skin. Inside are small, black, edible seeds embedded in a green flesh.
Kiwi are high in chlorophyll, thus the emerald-green hue of their flesh.
Interestingly, kiwi fruit doesn’t degrade after being opened, or exposed, as is the case with most fruits. This is also due to the high chlorophyll content.
Mature kiwi vines can produce 150 – 200 fruit. Maximum seasonal yields from a single is around 80 kilos. Plants will typically begin to produce around four years old and reach maximum production at around ten years.
As far as cultivation goes: Kiwi are demanding plants in terms of soil quality, nutrients, and moisture. Vines are wind sensitive. Excess wind can snap branches. They can be grown in full sun or part shade, and are neither tolerant of high salt nor maritime locations. Primarily kiwi species prefer warm, temperate to subtropical climates. Plants can survive temperatures down to – 12 C, but not for extended periods of time. Young vines will be killed easily at these low temps. Kiwi require a period of winter chill to initiate leaf and flower bud opening during springtime. Vines grow best in deep, fertile soil. They can handle a wide pH range, from 5.5 to 7.2, however, pH adaptability depends on overall soil type. Kiwi like water, but not waterlogging, they require more moisture then many other fruit species.
As far as nutrition goes:
