American Persimmons

American Persimmons (Diospyros virginiana). They seem to be everywhere up here now. The fruit growing into a small orb with a soft green color. Dropping from their branches as they ripen.

Those little fruits are tempting bears, if any bears are around here now. It’s something that bears really enjoy eating if one can tell by examining bear scat. You’ll find Persimmon seeds if you look.

Color warming from that soft green to yellow-orange. Sweetening as they ripen.

Once they’re ripe the Persimmons are a warm orange color and will begin dropping to the ground. Not only tempting bears but also butterflies that are fond of slurping on rotting fruit. Butterflies such as Question Marks, Commas, Red Admirals and Painted Ladies.

The bark of American Persimmon has large blocky patches which to me resembles an enlarged version of Flowering Dogwood bark.

As the common name implies, American Persimmon is native to much of the eastern United States from southern New England, throughout the southeastern United States, and west to Kansas and Texas. It’s in the Ebony family and has a heartwood that is almost black.