Nature's Neighbors ~ Texas Persimmon

During this enduring, exceptional statewide drought, we will feature a Texas native that so far, has needed no watering help to survive.

Texas Persimmon or Diospyros texana is one of our state’s premier small trees. The bark of mature specimens peels away to reveal shades of gray, white and pink on the trunk underneath, rivaling the beauty of the Texas Madrone.  

 

 It is extremely drought-tolerant and disease-resistant, it’s leaves are of low preference to white-tailed deer and in landscaping it is ideal for small spaces in full sun.  It grows best in shallow, rocky limestone soils, and in the Edwards Plateau it can make heavy thickets which serve as cover for wildlife.  North of the Rio Grande Valley where winters are cold, it is usually deciduous.

Flowers appear in March and April and are arranged singly or in small clusters among the new leaves, male and female on separate plants. The fruits, borne on female trees are fleshy, round and up to 1 inch in diameter.  From late July into September they turn black and soft,  ripening sweet and edible with a flavor some liken to prunes. The fruit pulp produces an indelible black stain and is still used as a dye.

 

Several characteristics enable Texas persimmon to survive in semiarid environments.  The broad upwardly inclined leaves and smooth bark with low water retention serve to funnel rainwater down the stems.  Like most drought tolerant plants Texas persimmon grows slowly, it reaches only two to three and a half feet in height after five years. Normally 10-15 feet tall at maturity, it can reach 35 feet in the southern parts of its range.   

Appearance can vary widely depending on whether the plant has been pruned or left to grow naturally, which is multi-trunked and shrubby with a round shape.

 Wildlife use Texas persimmon for food, shelter, and cover.  Coyote, raccoon, ringtail, foxes, deer, peccary and other mammals and birds eat the fruit, and it is a larval host to the Gray hairstreak and Henrys Elfin butterfly.

We heartily encourage switching your landscaping to natives planted in the ground that are able to withstand going without water for longer periods of time than the typical moisture dependent plants and trees that nurseries sell.  Planting Texas persimmon is one way to start!