Texas Persimmon (Diospyros texana)

Flowers, fruit, and foliage of Texas Persimmon (Diospyros texana). Photographs by Wynn Anderson.

• Common English Names: Texas Persimmon, Mexican Persimmon, Black Persimmon
• Common Spanish Names: Chapote, Chapote Manzano, Chapote Prieto
• Scientific Name: Diospyros texana (dye-OSS-spy-ros tex-ANN-uh)
• Family: Ebenaceae (Ebony Family)
• Geographic Range: South and central Texas, west to Big Bend and south through Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas, Mexico.
• Plant Form: Semi-evergreen shrub or small tree, 15' H x 15' W or more.
• Remarks: Large, multi-trunked shrub but can be pruned up into small tree to expose attractive, mottled gray, peeling bark. Inconspicuous but sweetly fragrant, white, bell shaped flowers in early to mid spring followed, on female plants, by 1" fruit, green and astringent unripe, black with sweet edible pulp surrounding hard seeds when ripe. Fruit relished by birds and wildlife. Full sun, low water, adaptable to various soils but prefers good drainage, hardy to 15°.

Last Update: 17 Apr 2006