Persimmon

Persimmon, common name for trees of a genus of the ebony family. The common persimmon is native to the eastern United States, growing wild from Connecticut and Iowa south to Florida and Texas; it grows up to 15 m (up to 50 ft) and has oblong leaves and unisexual flowers. The edible fruit is a large berry about the size of an apricot, with a tomatolike skin; it is extremely astringent until very ripe, when it becomes sweet and palatable. The persimmon tree yields a heavy, hard, close-grained wood that is used for shuttles and bobbins in the textile industry and for golf-club heads and other sports equipment. The Japanese persimmon is cultivated in the warm sections of the United States, particularly in California, for its fruit.

Scientific classification: Persimmons make up the genus Diospyros, of the family Ebenaceae. The common persimmon is classified as Diospyros virginiana and the Japanese persimmon as Diospyros kaki.