Species Spotlight: American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)
The American persimmon fruit is a sweet winter treat unlike any other among our native flora. After winters frost hits, the orange ripe persimmon tastes like a sweet piece of candy. However, if you eat one before it is fully ripe, you are in for a mouth puckering bite. American persimmon can be eaten raw, dried like dates, or incorporated into deserts such as pudding, bread, ice cream, cakes, tarts, and cookies.
The first written account of American persimmon comes from Captain John Smith, the first European explorer to the Mid-Atlantic region. Smith wrote that the fruits were “as delicious as an apricot” and “if it be not ripe it will draw a man’s mouth awrie with much torment.” The fruit is also enjoyed by wildlife. Deer hunters will tell you that persimmon fruits are deer candy. The tree and its fruits support hundreds of mammals, birds, and insects. Support the wildlife in your yard and grab a taste of America. Plant an American persimmon tree.
