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Diospyros texana (Texas persimmon)
Marcus, Joseph A. (Austin, TX)

Diospyros texana Scheele

Texas persimmon, Mexican persimmon, Black persimmon, Chapote, Chapote prieto

Ebenaceae (Ebony Family)

USDA Symbol: DITE3

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

Shrub or small tree with very hard wood, usually multi-trunked. Normally 10-15 ft tall but can reach 35 ft in the southern parts of its range. Common in brushy areas on level uplands, stony hillsides, and lower slopes from Houston and Bryan, Texas, in the east, west to Big Bend in west Texas and south to Nuevo Leon in northeastern Mexico. Very common in central and south Texas. Bark light gray to white, smooth, thin, on some trunks peeling in rectangular flakes and exposing a pinkish layer beneath. Leaves up to 2 inches long, but most about half this length, firm textured, rounded or slightly notched at the tip and tapering to the base; margins smooth, rolled down. Flowers urn shaped, whitish, about 3/8 inch wide, arranged singly or in small clusters among the new leaves; male and female on separate plants, appearing in March and April. Fruit fleshy, round, up to 1 inch in diameter, black and sweet when ripe, ripening from late July into September.

This well-shaped, small tree is valued primarily for its striking trunk and branches, which are a smooth, pale greyish white or whitish grey, peeling off to reveal subtle greys, whites, and pinks beneath. The fruits, borne on female trees, are edible once soft, with a flavor some liken to prunes, and are favorites of many birds and mammals. It is extremely drought-tolerant and disease-resistant and is ideal for small spaces in full sun. The heartwood, found only in very large trunks, is black, like that of the related ebony (Diospyros ebenum), while the sapwood is clear yellow.

 

From the Image Gallery

View herbarium specimen from Harry T. Cliffe Bexar Regional Herbarium.

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Deciduous , Semi-evergreen
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Size Class: 12-36 ft.
Leaf Shape: Obovate , Ovate
Leaf Venation: Pinnately Veined
Leaf Pubescence: Glabrous , Tomentose
Leaf Margin: Entire
Leaf Apex: Emarginate , Rounded
Leaf Texture: Leathery
Breeding System: Dioecious
Fruit Type: Berry
Size Notes: 25-35 ft, but usually 10-15 ft
Leaf Color: dark green
Flower Size: 1/2 inch
Fruit Length: 1 inch across
Fruit Color: Black or dark purple

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Green
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr
Bloom Notes: fragrant

Distribution

USA: TX
Native Distribution: S.e., c. & w. TX, s. to n.e. Mex.
Native Habitat: Rocky, open woodlands, slopes & arroyos
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil pH: Alkaline (pH>7.2)
Drought Tolerance: High
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Well-drained, limestone loams, clays, and caliche.
Conditions Comments: North of the Rio Grande Valley where winters are cold, will usually be deciduous. From the Rio Grande Valley southward, will be semi-deciduous-to-evergreen, losing its leaves all at once in early spring like live oaks, with no period of bareness.
Texas comments: Native and common from central and west Texas south, east to Bryan and Houston. Adaptable as far north as the Red River.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: A well-shaped, small tree valued chiefly for its striking trunk and branches.
Use Wildlife: Fruits attract birds and mammals, especially deer and peccary. This is prized food for peccary. Flowers attract butterflies.
Use Food: Fruit edible when ripened to softness.
Use Other: Fruit juice used as a dye. Wood used in woodworking.
Fragrant Flowers: yes
Interesting Foliage: yes
Attracts: Birds , Butterflies
Larval Host: Gray hairstreak, Henrys Elfin butterfly
Nectar Source: yes
Deer Resistant: Moderately

Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)

Diospyros texana is a larval host and/or nectar source for:
Gray Hairstreak
(Strymon melinus)

Larval Host
Learn more at BAMONA 		Elf
(Microtia elva)

Larval Host
Learn more at BAMONA

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds
Description: Germinates readliy from fresh seed. Cold-moist storage will induce dormancy and delay germination. Sensitive to damping-off and root rot.
Seed Collection: Fruit ripens from August to October and turns purple-black when mature. Clean fruit immediately to prevent mold and fermentation. Air-dry seeds and store in sealed, refrigerated containers.
Commercially Avail: yes
Maintenance: Often pruned rather high to show off the attractive trunk and branches.
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PlantWise: Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants

Diospyros texana (Texas persimmon) is a PlantWise native alternative for:

   Elaeagnus angustifolia (Russian olive)

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Question: Hello, I am a chef from Buenos Aires Argentina visiting Austin, Texas and would like to learn about native, edible plants in the region. Please let me know if there are any native, edible plants and if they grow wild, I can harvest them myself, or if there is a place I can purchase them. thanks, salud!!
click here to view the full question and answer

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Texas Discovery Gardens - Dallas, TX
Tohono Chul Park, Inc. - Tucson, AZ
Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX
Patsy Glenn Refuge - Wimberley, TX
Native Plant Society of Texas - Fredericksburg, TX
Nueces River Authority - Uvalde, TX
* Available Online from Wildflower Center Store

Bibliography

Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (2005) Covell, C.V., Jr.
Field Guide to Western Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides) (1999) Opler, P.A. and A.B. Wright
Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest (1991) Miller, G. O.
Native & Naturalized Woody Plants of Austin & the Hill Country (1981) Lynch, D.
* Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
* Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
Trees of Central Texas (1984) Vines, Robert A.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Diospyros texana in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Diospyros texana in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Diospyros texana

Metadata

Record Modified: 2010-02-07
Research By: TMH, GDG

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