Compton Hollow Conservation Area is located in Webster County. Visitors can access this 840-acre area from Compton Hollow Road, where two parking lots are located about 0.75 mile apart.
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Name
Edible
Scientific Name
Diospyros virginiana
Family
Ebenaceae (ebonies)
Description
Persimmon is a medium-sized tree, varying in size and shape with growing conditions.
Leaves are alternate, simple, 2–6 inches long, 1–3 inches wide, broadest at the middle; margin lacking teeth; upper surface pale green, shiny; lower surface paler, smooth to somewhat hairy. Somewhat leathery.
Bark is distinctive: dark brown to black, grooves deep, ridges broken into thick, square to rectangular blocks, resembling alligator hide.
Twigs are slender, gray to reddish-brown, somewhat zigzag; pores orange; end bud absent.
Flowers late May–June, with male and female flowers on separate trees. Male flowers in clusters of 2–3, greenish-yellow, urn-shaped; female flowers solitary, urn-shaped with tips curved back, greenish-yellow to creamy white, fragrant.
Fruits September–October. Fruit orange to orange-purple, about ¾–1½ inches long and wide, globe-shaped; sweet, edible when ripe. Prior to ripening, astringent and puckery to taste.
Size
Height: to 60 feet; to 30 feet in open-grown situations, where it has a shorter trunk.
Where To Find
Statewide, except for northwestern counties.
Habitat and Conservation
Occurs in rocky, dry, open woods, edges of woods, glades, prairies, old fields, thickets, bottomland woods, and valleys along streams. It is generally not recommended in urban landscapes, despite its many good qualities; it is difficult to transplant, it has a tendency to sucker, and the fallen fruit can be messy.
Human Connections
Native Americans, explorers, settlers, and others have all enjoyed the edible fruit.
Persimmons are often considered Missouri's best native fruit; preparation usually starts with processing (as in a food mill) the fruits to remove the seeds, which yields a delicious, orange, mushy pulp. It can be used in cookies, cakes, ice cream (or just swirled into whipped cream), miscellaneous confections, quickbreads, muffins, pancakes, and more. (The other contenders for best native fruit are pawpaw, blackberries, wild plums, and gooseberries.)
The fruits are notoriously astringent if they are eaten unripe; this has given the fruit a certain notoriety, accompanied by plenty of sheepish and humorous stories.
The dried leaves can be made into tea.
The wood is used for golf club heads, textile shuttles, billiard cues, brush handles, and for fine woodworking crafts such as cutting boards and treenware.
Ecosystem Connections
Persimmons are a very important wildlife food. The fruit, buds, and leaves are eaten by deer, opossum, squirrel, bobwhite, raccoon, wild turkey, red and gray fox, and coyote. Many birds eat the fruit.
A pioneering tree in disturbed landscapes, it plays an important role in reestablishing a mature ecosystem.
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Media Gallery
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Caption
Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)
Credit
Paul Nelson
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Photo by Paul Nelson, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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Caption
Although ripe persimmons offer a sweet treat, one bite of an unripe persimmon will make you pucker.
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Photo by MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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Persimmon leaves are alternate, simple, lack teeth, and are somewhat leathery.
Credit
Chris Evans, River to River CWMA, Bugwood.org
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Use of this image is restricted to MDC only
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Caption
Persimmon fruits ripen September-October.
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Photo by MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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Many people debate about how to tell when a persimmon is truly ripe.
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Photo by MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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Most people agree that our native persimmons taste best when they get so soft the skin starts to sag and the pulp is getting mushy.
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Photo by MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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The rather mushy texture of persimmon pulp suggests a variety of culinary uses.
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Photo by MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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Use of this image is restricted to MDC only on this page
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Credit
Jim Rathert
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Photo by Jim Rathert, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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Caption
Persimmon fruits are ripening in the St. Louis Region, Oct. 3, 2016
Credit
Mark Grueber
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Photo by Mark Grueber, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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Where to See Species
The 286 acres comprising Rinquelin Trail Lake Conservation Area were acquired by the Conservation Department through five separate transactions between 1982 and 1990.
Seventy-Six Conservation Area is located in eastern Perry County, at the end of Route D, approximately four miles northeast of Brazeau.
About Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines in Missouri
There are no sharp dividing lines between trees, shrubs, and woody vines, or even between woody and nonwoody plants. “Wood” is a type of tissue made of cellulose and lignin that many plants develop as they mature — whether they are “woody” or not. Trees are woody plants over 13 feet tall with a single trunk. Shrubs are less than 13 feet tall, with multiple stems. Vines require support or else sprawl over the ground.