Persimmons are in the genus Diospyros, which means: food of the gods. Whoever gave them that name must have been a whitetail hunter because of a ripe persimmon’s ability to attract deer and other wildlife. 

Chestnut Hill Outdoors is well known as a supplier of several different persimmon varieties, each specially selected for its abundant fruit production. Here’s a quick recap of the company’s offerings.

As their name implies, Early Drop Deer Candy Persimmons bear fruit from late August through October, which is the time archery deer seasons get started across most of the United States.

They’re all grafted female trees, which means they are vigorous and grow very rapidly, bearing 1.25- to 1.5-inch diameter fruit in only 2-3 years, depending on the care they receive and climate to which they're exposed.

Also in the Deer Candy collection are several Late Drop Deer Magnet varieties that provide nutritiously irresistible soft mast later in the fall, further widening the window of attractiveness your property offers to wildlife. 

Chestnut Hill Outdoors selected grafted American Persimmon varieties that are cold-hardy so they will thrive over a much wider geographic area — planting Zones 5-9. The fruit drops over several months during late summer and early fall, expanding the window of attractiveness to whitetails. American Persimmon seedlings are a native variety with a natural immunity to disease and insects, are adaptable to many climates, and thrive in a wide variety of conditions, from wet or sandy soils, to lowlands or uplands. It is not necessarily an early or late drop so it fills in the middle nicely.

For more information on the persimmon varieties offered by Chestnut Hill Outdoors, visit www.chestnuthilloutdoors.com.