Persimmon or pear tree??

Question

We just moved to a new house a couple months ago. There's a fruit tree in the back that has green fruit on it. When we moved, my mother-in-law said it was a persimmon tree and the fruit is sour and you can't eat it. Well I looked last night and the fruit is green, and looks like small pears more than anything. I took one in and tried a little bit (bc my dog is always eating them so I know they're not poisonous), the inside is white and textured like a pear. The taste was about the same too. What do you guys think? Just want to be sure, bc I know my husband will still try to argue me since his Mom said they're not edible.

Answer 1

If it bloomed first, it is a pear tree. Persimmons dont flower. They are a lot alike. Persimmons are more round than a pear.

Answer 2

here's persimmons...

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&rl...

here's a green one with the leaf of the tree....

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/senior/fr...

Answer 3

Firstly, yes you are right, it is a Persimmon. This fruit tree was introduced to the usa in the 1800's. It is edible. It is not poisionious. You say it is Green, but there are many varieties of this plant. The fruits from these can be various shapes, yours is pearshaped, well they can be almost square, or spherical, and other shapes too. The fruits will be more pallitable if you first of all freeze them overnight, then thaw them in the morning, this softens them and removes the astringency, They are very decorative if left on the tree after the season, and may turn red or orange colour, and the birds like them. Enjoy something new.