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Common persimmons are slow-growing trees that produce large edible
fruits. Persimmon grows in the eastern U.S. between Connecticut
and Iowa in the north and between southern Florida and Texas
in the south. The largest persimmons grow in the fertile bottomland
of the Mississippi River Valley. The only other native persimmon
of North America occurs in Texas and northeastern Mexico called
Texas persimmon (Diospyros texana). Its leaves are smaller
and it has black fruits where Diospyros virginiana has larger
leaves and orange to purple fruits. The dark brown wood is very strong, hard, and heavy and used for specialty items such as golf club heads. It is not considered economically important because it yields an inferior grade of lumber. The fruits are valuable to wildlife including whitetail deer, raccoons, foxes, skunks, many birds, and small rodents. The fruit is highly bitter causing you to pucker your lips when you eat it. Therefore, people usually wait until |
 Twig, leaves, and fruit |
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after the first frost or when the skin is wrinkled and the pulp
is mushy for a delightful taste. Common persimmon is a relative of the highly prized true ebony tree (Diospyros ebenum). The ebony tree has black, hard, heavy wood, which has long been used to make expensive bowls, candlesticks, piano keys, and furniture. |
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