Accession Count: 1
Common Name:
Texas persimmon
Family Name:
Ebenaceae
Botanical Name:
Diospyros texana
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
The Texas Persimmon is a perennial tree.The size of this tree varies from 25-35 feet. The leaf retention is deciduous and semi-evergreen. The tree has an alternate leaf arrangement, and its leaf complexity is simple. The flowers are dioecious and are around ½ inch, and the fruit is black or dark purple and 1 inch in diameter.
Compound:
Dio tex
Geographic Origin:
Texas/Northeast Mexico
Ecozone Origin:
Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
This tree is thought to have originated somewhere in Southern Texas; however there are no reported occurrences of this plants seeds from archeological sites in South Texas.
Cultivation Notes:
The Texas Persimmon is well adapted for dry conditions and requires little water; soil conditions should be very dry as well. This plant is heat tolerant and requires alkaline soil and full sun. North of the Rio Grande Valley, where the winters are cold, this tree will most likely be deciduous; however, if found southward from the Rio Grande Valley—then the tree will be “semi-deciduous-to-evergreen.
Ethnobotany:
The fruit of the Texas Persimmon can be used as an astringent for treating sores in the throat and mouth. The Cherokee also used the trees fruit to treat hemorrhoids, and they chewed the bark to treat heartburn.
Height:
16 - 20 feet
Width:
Growth Rate:
Grow Season:
Flower Season:
Color:
White
Function:
Spread:
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Water Use:
Low water Use
Citations:
- Marcus, J. A. (2010, 02 07). Diospyros texana scheele. Retrieved from http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=DITE3
- Gilman & Watson, E. F. &. D. G. (2006, 12). Diospyros texana: Texas persimmon. Retrieved from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/st230
- Texas persimmon. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/st-plains/nature/images/persimmon.html
