Common Persimmon Tree
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Persimmons can be eaten fresh and in puddings, cakes, pies, and beverages. During the Civil War southerners, unable to get coffee, roasted persimmon seeds to make a substitute drink. The wood is hard and has been used for toothaches. The hard wood is also used for pool cues, heads of golf clubs, and shuttles for weaving.
Images
Persimmon Tree in front of the Block Catts House in spring
Illustration of Persimmon branch and fruit by local artist Ann Bittick
Persimmon Tree in front of the Block Catts House in late winter
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Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Native to the eastern United States, the common persimmon is well known for its small fruit which it produces in the fall. Due to its relative slow growth, the bark of the persimmon tree is thick and scaly, usually dark brown or gray in color. The wood of the persimmon tree is very hard and dark, as well as termite resistant; however, because it takes almost a century of growth for its wood to be commercially viable, it’s not widely harvested. The wood is also a traditional treatment for toothaches, a remedy some modern herbalists still use to this day.
Sources
Branches In Time: Notable and Historic Trees of Old Washington Historic State Park. Little Rock, AR. Arkansas State Parks, 2001.
Historic Washington State Park
Historic Washington State Park