Elwin Meader developed this cultivar at the University of New Hampshire with a particular goal in mind: a persimmon that could set fruit on its own. He succeeded. Where most native persimmons require both a male and female tree to produce, "Meader" is self-pollinating, yielding seedless fruit when no pollinator is present and seeded fruit when one is nearby. Growing to around 30 feet, it is among the more compact selections of a species that can reach 80 feet in the wild, making it a practical choice for home landscapes across zones 4 through 9.

The ornamental arc of this tree spans every season. Spring brings small yellow flowers that attract bees; summer offers a canopy of deep green foliage; fall delivers a double spectacle of red and yellow leaf color alongside ripening fruit. The apricot-sized persimmons, deep orange and sweet when fully ripe, can linger on bare branches well into winter, undamaged by frost — a quietly theatrical detail in an otherwise dormant garden. It performs well in moist, sandy soils but tolerates a range of conditions once established, including dry spells. Watch for root suckers and remove them unless a naturalized spread is the intent.