Increasingly available - although not cheaply - in supermarkets, the persimmon or Sharon fruit originated in China, where it has long been associated with good health. This non-astringent type will produce abundant crops of sweet-tasting, attractive yellow orange fruits that hang on the tree, ripening well into December, long after the leaves have fallen. A self fertile variety, the tree grows well in the UK and will reach about 3m in height after 15 years