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American Persimmon

Diospyros virginiana

Found in dry forests and woodlands, longleaf pine sandhills, prairies, disturbed places, floodplain and moist forests, fencerows, roadsides, other disturbed areas. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

76
Strong

Native to Mississippi (estimated). How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
30–80 feet
Spread
20–35 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 27.5 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
April to June
Fruiting season
Summer to winter

Recorded in 68 Mississippi counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 7

Dry forests and woodlands

Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.

Forests and woodlands

Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.

Sandhills

Dry, deep-sand ridges with longleaf pine and turkey oak, kept open by fire.

Prairies and grasslands

Open, grass-dominated places kept open by fire, grazing or thin soil, from tallgrass prairie to Piedmont prairies.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

Moist forests

Forests on moist but not wet ground, such as rich slopes and ravines.

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Mississippi. Shared habitat, not food. 82 animals.

Widespread birds also seen here (33)

Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.

All wildlife of Mississippi

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

57CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including MS

Genus host records with ranges including MS · Diospyros

  • Actias lunaLuna Moth
  • Citheronia regalisRegal Moth
  • Acronicta longaLong-Winged Dagger, Darkish Dagger
  • Adoneta spinuloidesPurple-Crested Slug
  • Amyelois transitellaNavel Orangeworm
  • Antepione thisoariaVariable Antepione
  • Artace cribrariusDot-Lined White Moth
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Callophrys henriciHenry's Elfin
  • Callosamia prometheaPromethea Silkmoth, Promethea Moth
Show all 57
  • Catocala piatrixThe Penitent, Penitent Underwing
  • Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
  • Cenopis reticulatanaReticulated Fruitworm Moth
  • Clostera inclusaAngle-Lined Prominent, Poplar Tent Maker, Poplar Leaf-Tier
  • Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
  • Cossula magnificaPecan Carpenterworm Moth
  • Cryptothelea gloveriiOrange Bagworm
  • Dasychira leucophaeaPeppered Tussock Moth
  • Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
  • Euchlaena marginariaOchre Euchlaena
  • Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
  • Eumarozia malachitanaSculptured Moth
  • Eupsilia cirripaleaFranclemont's Sallow
  • Euzophera semifuneralisAmerican Plum Borer
  • Exelis pyrolariaFine-Lined Gray
  • Harrisimemna trisignataHarris's Three-Spot
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Hypocala andremonaHypocala Moth
  • Hypsoropha hormosSmall Necklace Moth
  • Hypsoropha monilisLarge Necklace Moth
  • Iridopsis defectariaBrown-Shaded Gray, Willow Looper
  • Iridopsis humariaSmall Purplish Gray
  • Iridopsis larvariaBent-Line Gray
  • Lochmaeus manteoVariable Oakleaf Caterpillar Moth
  • Megalopyge crispataBlack-Waved Flannel Moth, Crinkled Flannel Moth
  • Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
  • Metarranthis hypochrariaCommon Metarranthis
  • Monoleuca semifasciaPin-Striped Vermilion Slug
  • Natada nasoniNason's Slug Moth
  • Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
  • Oiketicus abbotiiAbbot's Bagworm Moth
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Phobetron pitheciumHag Moth, Monkey Slug
  • Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller
  • Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
  • Renia adspergillusSpeckled Renia
  • Sannina uroceriformisPersimmon Root Borer
  • Seirarctia echoEcho Moth
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
  • Synanthedon exitiosaPeachtree Borer Moth, Western Peachtree Borer
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Tolype velledaLarge Tolype, Large Lappet Moth, Vellada Lappet Moth
  • Vanessa virginiensisAmerican Lady, American Painted Lady
  • Xylophanes tersaTersa Sphinx
  • Coptodisca diospyriella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
4BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Diospyros

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
3BirdsRecorded eating Diospyros in Mississippi

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Birds whose range includes Mississippi, most records first.

Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab)

Direct food only. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Flies 2
  • Syrphus americanus
  • Syrphus ribesii

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Adult butterflies / moths 1
  • Euphyes verna

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Other wasps · Other insects

Birds that eat Diospyros 3

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab), CC0 1.0.

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Ebenaceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
Yellow, green, orange or white
Growth rate
Slow
Growth habit
Single crown
Foliage color
Dark green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Winter

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Mississippi rankSNR
Global rankG5
MS statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources