Persimmons are deciduous trees with buds bearing three outer scales. Terminal buds are absent. Flowers are dioecious. Fruit is a large, juicy berry.
| I. | Leaves are round to elliptic, and 21/2—51/2 inches (6—14 cm) long. Foliage is glossy, dark green above, and paler beneath. Bark of mature trunks is dark and scaly. Flowers are white and bloom in May or June. Fruit is yellowish-orange and often has a red cheek. Fruit is edible and matures in October or November. |
| Diospyros virginiana–Common Persimmon |
Common Persimmon–Diospyros virginiana
The persimmon is found from Rhode Island to Florida and west to Kansas and Texas. It thrives best on the light, sandy soils of the warm south. In Ohio, this tree occurs south of Columbus. It is frequent in the counties drained by the Ohio River. Persimmons rarely exceed 50 feet in height and 18 inches in diameter.
The simple, alternate leaves are oval to ovate in shape and 21/2—51/2 inches (6—14 cm) long. Leaves have pointed tips and entire leaf margins. Foliage is glabrous, glossy, dark green above, and paler beneath.
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| Common Persimmon | ||
Terminal buds are absent. The broad, egg-shaped lateral buds are imbricate and have three outer scales. The twigs are reddish-brown with rather large, chambered pith. Lateral buds are marked with half-moon-shaped leaf scars containing only one bundle scar. The mature bark is deeply furrowed and breaks into dark gray to black square blocks separated by furrows that are cinnamon-red along the bottom.
Flowers are dioecious, yellow to white, and bloom in May or June. Male trees have no fruit, if none is desired. The persimmon is best known by its fruit, which is the largest berry produced by an American forest tree. There is no better way to get acquainted with this tree than to try to eat its fruit before it is ripe. Its harsh taste draws the lips and chokes the throat. It is a red to yellow, pulpy berry 1—11/2 inches (25—38 mm) in diameter. The bitterness of the fruit disappears with age and frost action, becoming smooth and sweet as it matures in October or November. It is edible.
The wood is hard, heavy, and strong. The heartwood is brown to black; the sapwood is wide and white to yellow in color. It is used for golf club heads and shuttles.