Diospyros virginiana

American persimmon or common persimmon is in the ebony or Ebenaceae family and is a North American tree ranging from southern Connecticut to Florida, and west to Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Iowa. It is a large, dense canopied, upright, broadly spreading tree reaching around 20 m tall. The tree grows wild but has been cultivated for its fruit and wood since prehistoric times by native Americans.

• Leaves are alternate, simple, ovate, up to 12 cm long and 7 cm across, pointed, untoothed, dark green on top.
• Species usually is dioecious. Female flowers are urn-shaped about 1 cm long, yellow and arranged singly along shoots.
• Fruit is round or oval and green ripening to orange-yellow, sometimes bluish, and from 2 to 6 cm in diameter. Its astringency renders it somewhat unpalatable, but after it has been subjected to frost, or has become partially rotted or "bletted", its flavor improves.
• Twigs are distinct in that they are in one plane and stick out from branches at close to a 90° angle.