Persimmon (Diospyros kaki) ROJO BRILLANTE

Persimmon (Diospyros kaki) 'Rojo Brillante'

Highly productive Spanish variety with large fruits and excellent sweet flavor.

'Rojo Brillante' is one of the most popular persimmon varieties, favored especially in the Valencia region, but increasingly grown in warmer parts of Central Europe. It is characterized by exceptionally high yields and large, attractive fruits. It is a parthenocarpic variety (producing seedless fruit without pollination). It is cold hardy but requires sheltered locations.

Key Highlights:

• Large to very large fruits (180 – 220 g).
• High productivity and tree vigor.
• Parthenocarpic variety (fruits are usually seedless).
• High content of vitamins (C, E, B), fiber, and antioxidants.
• Late flowering (June) reliably avoids spring frosts.

Origin and Registration

• Origin: The species originates from China; 'Rojo Brillante' is a selection from Spain (Valencia region).

Variety Characteristics

Tree

• Growth: Vigorous, reaching 4 – 5 meters at maturity (maintained at 3 m by pruning). Spherical crown.
• Leaves: Large, glossy, turning beautiful orange in autumn. Deciduous tree.
• Flowering: Blooms in June on one-year-old wood. Produces only female flowers; self-fertile (parthenocarpic).
• Productivity: Begins bearing fruit in the 2nd – 3rd year after planting. A mature tree can yield up to 50 kg of fruit.

Fruit

• Size and Weight: Large, 180 – 220 g.
• Shape and Color: Heart-shaped to oval, resembling a tomato. Skin is red-orange to reddish, delicate.
• Flesh: Firm at harvest, becoming gel-like after ripening (bletting). Flesh color is orange.
• Taste: Excellently sweet and aromatic after ripening and losing astringency.
• Consumption: The variety is astringent at harvest. Fruits must be left to ripen for about 2 weeks at room temperature to soften and lose their tartness.

Resistance and Requirements

• Resistance: Highly resistant to diseases and pests.
• Frost: Hardy to approx. -15 °C to -18 °C. Winter protection (wrapping the trunk) is recommended at temperatures below -15 °C.
• Soil: Nutritious, well-drained, medium-heavy (loamy-clay), slightly acidic to neutral (pH 5.5 – 6.8).

Cultivation Recommendations

• Location: Requires the warmest, sunniest spot possible (south-facing), protected from wind (e.g., against a wall).
• Pruning: Maintenance pruning is done in spring (March/April) to thin the crown and limit height.
• Young plants: Container cultivation or thorough winter protection in open ground is recommended for the first few years.

Harvest and Storage

• Harvest time: Late variety, harvested in late October to November (approx. 2–3 weeks after 'Tipo').
• Storage: Short-term. Suitable for processing into jam, drying, or freezing.