Eastern Persimmon

Diospyros virginiana

Pollinator Value

🐛 Larval Host: Lymantria dispar, Orgyia leucostigma, Hyphantria cunea, Hyalophora cecropia, Schizura concinna, Harrisimemna trisignata, Acronicta longa, Lochmaeus manteo, Antepione thisoaria, Metarranthis hypochraria, Coptodisca diospyriella
S14 Nearctic host records; filtered to species with ON/QC range overlap
🐝 Specialist Bee Host: Perdita (Alloperdita) obscurata
S17 Diospyros specialist; range AL-FL-GA-MS-NC (southeastern US)
❄️ Winter Food Source: Persistent berries ripen September through November and remain on trees into late winter, providing food for American Robin and Eastern Bluebird. Raccoon, opossum, gray fox, and white-tailed deer also consume fallen fruit through winter months.
S57 American Robin, Eastern Bluebird; S41 fruit falls Sep to late winter; S41 consumed by raccoon, opossum, fox squirrels, white-tailed deer

Proximity Score: 2
Native Status: ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ❌ ON
Closest Direction: SE
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.3 – Atlantic Highlands, 5.3.1 – Northern Appalachians and Atlantic Maritime Highlands
Rarity Notes: Not native to Ontario or Quebec per VASCAN and NatureServe. Globally secure (G5). Listed as S1 (Critically Imperiled) in Connecticut at its natural northern range edge. Not assessed by SARA or COSEWIC in Canada.
S22 G5; S61 S1 in CT; S26 not SARA listed; S1 not in VASCAN
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Common persimmon is a southeastern US species reaching its northern limit in southern Connecticut and southern Indiana. It thrives in dry woods, old fields, and clearings on a wide range of soils. In the south it is a common pioneer colonizer of abandoned farmland. Its nearest documented wild occurrences to the Outaouais are in upstate New York and Pennsylvania, well south of the Ottawa River valley.
S41 range description; S61 northern range edge in CT; S48 nearest specimens in NY/PA

Roles: Fire Retardant, Fortress/Barrier, Pollinator Attractor, Wildlife Habitat
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fire Retardant: S73 [HIGH]: S11 Fire Resistant = Yes (definitional)] | Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [MEDIUM]: S68 9 bee associations (threshold=3)] | Wildlife Habitat: S72 Hemenway (tables: 10-1, pp. 149)]
Notes: Persimmon functions as a canopy-layer fruit tree in food forest designs, tolerating a wide range of soils and providing edible fruit and wildlife habitat. Its deep taproot accesses subsoil nutrients and its fire resistance adds resilience to plantings. Hemenway lists it as a wildlife habitat tree suitable for the low tree layer in permaculture guilds.
S72 wildlife_habitat role, low_tree layer; S29 Food Forest; S41 deep taproot, fire resistant

Category: Antidiarrheal, Astringent, Dermatological Aid, Gastrointestinal Aid, Hemorrhoid Remedy, Liver Aid, Oral Aid, Throat Aid, Toothache Remedy, Venereal Aid, Antiscorbutic, Febrifuge
S28 Cherokee and Rappahannock medicinal uses; S29 astringent, antiscorbutic; S41 fevers, diarrhea, hemorrhage
Notes: Cherokee used bark syrup for bloody stools, thrush, and sore throat; bark chewed for heartburn; cold bark infusion for liver complaints. Rappahannock used inner bark infusion as a wash for thrush and sore throat. Inner bark is highly astringent and was used externally for warts. Leaves are rich in vitamin C and used as an antiscorbutic.
S28 Cherokee Drug uses; S28 Rappahannock Drug uses; S29 astringent bark, antiscorbutic leaves; S41 inner bark and unripe fruit for fevers, diarrhea, hemorrhage

✅ Edible ✅ Commonly Eaten

Foraging Notes: Ripe fruit has an exquisitely rich, date-like flavor and is eaten fresh or used in puddings, cakes, breads, and pies. Fruit must be fully ripe (often after frost) as unripe fruit is extremely astringent. Cherokee, Comanche, Rappahannock, and Seminole peoples used persimmon extensively as food, including fruit, pudding, and a fermented beverage. Roasted seeds used as a coffee substitute; leaves make a tea rich in vitamin C.
S29 rich flavor, various preparations; S28 Cherokee, Comanche, Rappahannock, Seminole food uses; S41 dried fruit in baked goods, fermented beverage, roasted seed as coffee substitute