Released: April 5, 2007
LINCOLN, Neb. -- There is a rare and fascinating tree whose native range is just outside of Nebraska. Persimmon, Diospyros virginiana, is a deciduous tree that can be found growing in dry woodlands, limestone glades, prairies, thickets, abandoned fields and along roadsides.
In spring, tiny yellow bell-shaped flowers adorn newly leafed-out branches. The foliage is dark green and glossy above, paler below. It turns buttery-yellow in autumn, infrequently reddish-purple. One to two-inch berries change from green to yellow to dark orange in color before maturing in late fall. The fruit is edible and can be rather astringent before a flavor-taming frost. Dark, deeply ridged bark maintains interest through the winter.
The persimmon has a variety of uses outside of the ornamental landscape. Its suckering growth habit can be used for naturalized areas and erosion control. Its fruit makes it a perfect choice for wildlife plantings and for human consumption. The pulp can be used in a variety of baked goods, syrups, jellies and ice cream. The seeds have been used as a coffee substitute; the leaves can be brewed for a tea; the flowers are useful in honey-making. A relative of ebony, persimmon wood has also been valued in the production of textile shuttles, golf club heads and parquet flooring.
Later this month, third-graders in the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District will become acquainted with persimmons. As a part of Arbor Day festivities, the district will be distributing plants grown from a hardy seed source by the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. The students will learn about persimmons in the classroom and then have the opportunity to watch them grow in their own yards.
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http://ianrnews.unl.edu/static/0704052.shtml
Contacts: Karma Larsen, Communications, (402) 472-2971
Kristina Jensen, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, (402) 472-7923
Dan Moser, News and Photography, (402) 472-3007
