Collection Status: Cultivar is present at AFFN
Planted on Dec 03, 2024
Common Name: Hybrid Persimmon
Parental Cross:
Geographic Origin: Terre Haute, Indiana
Finder/Creator: Jerry Lehman
Known Sources: Brambleberry Farm, Peaceful Heritage
Alternative Names: Mikkusu
Notes: JT-02 – A true 50/50 hybrid of Josephine V. X Taishu Kaki. Bred in Japan, imported by Jerry Lehman in 2006 and grown in several locations in the USA. Medium to large fruit, square-ish shape, is an astringent type till soft when it’s a mouthwatering tasty 2.5 to 3.0-inch fruit. Smallish tree, not vigorous at all, is precocious and has spreading growth habits. It must be staked to support fruit load as it is a very heavy producer. Very cold hardy, has never had any freeze damage or cold injury. Zone 5b and Zone 8 / tested to -16 Degrees F. American/Asian hybrid JT-02 / Mikkusu is something very special. It is a direct cross of an American variety (Josephine) with a Japanese non-astringent PCNA (Taishu). So the genotype is half non-astringent. [Unfortunately, the phenotype is still astringent because the Japanese NA trait is recessive.] Moreover, in contrast to other pure PCNA hybrids in Japan (including Taishu itself), JT-02 is very cold hardy. It is also reportedly very tasty.