Persimmon

Persimmon wood is very hard and nearly black--it's in the ebony family.



Typically grown for its fruit. Plant in full sun. Also useful as an early successional tree in old field restoration.

Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.



Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure to salt spray would be uncommon (major storms).

Tent caterpillars can be an aesthetic issue and fruit drop can be messy. Persimmons are dioecious, so if you wish to have fruit, make sure that you have both male and female trees in the neighborhood.

Fruits are used by a broad array of small mammals and some birds.

Dry-moist-wet sites. Disturbed sites, wetland edges, old fields, sandhill.

• Fall color, Showy fruits, Hurricane wind resistance
• Larval host for royal walnut moth (Citheronia regalis), pecan carpenterworm moth (Cossula magnifica), pin-striped slug moth (Monoleuca semifascia), Wittfeld's forester (Alypia wittfeldii), hag moth (Phobetron pithecium), and luna moth (Actias luna).
• Flowers are insect pollinated.