Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Persimmon

Diospyros virginiana

L.

Persimmon

G5Secure Found in 37 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.159254
Element CodePDEBE01070
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderEbenales
FamilyEbenaceae
GenusDiospyros
Other Common Names
common persimmon (EN) Common Persimmon (EN) Eastern Persimmon (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-06-03
Change Date1984-04-24
Edition Date2024-06-03
Edition AuthorsNordman, C. (2024).
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) occurs in the eastern United States, from New York and southern New England to Florida, Nebraska, Kansas and Texas. It is estimated that there are more than 300 occurrences, and perhaps 10,000 occurrences, including on various National Forests, National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, State Parks, State Forests, and State Wildlife Management Areas. Residential development is a threat in some areas, invasive exotic species are also threats.
Range Extent Comments
Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) occurs in the eastern United States, from New York and southern New England to Florida, Nebraska, Kansas and Texas. Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (Flora of North America Editorial Committee 2009, GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2023).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are more than 300 occurrences, and perhaps 10,000 occurrences of Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Residential development is a threat in some areas, invasive exotic species are also threats.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This species occurs in dry forests and woodlands, longleaf pine sandhills, prairies, mesic forests, bottomlands, floodplains, abandoned agricultural land, fencerows, roadsides and other disturbed lands at elevations of 0 to 1,100 meters (Flora of North America Editorial Committee 2009, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2023).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandSavannaGrassland/herbaceousOld field
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
MissouriSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS4Yes
MississippiSNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
West VirginiaS5Yes
DelawareS5Yes
OklahomaSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
UtahSNANo
NebraskaS1Yes
OhioSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
KentuckyS5Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
North CarolinaS5Yes
IowaS1Yes
FloridaS5Yes
GeorgiaSNRYes
TexasSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
MassachusettsSNANo
LouisianaSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
ConnecticutS1Yes
New YorkS2Yes
KansasS3Yes
New JerseyS4Yes
South CarolinaS5Yes
District of ColumbiaS5Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areasSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationDECIDUOUS, SPRING-FLOWERING
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (37)
Alabama (3)
AreaForestAcres
Blue MountainTalladega National Forest4,986
Oakey MountainTalladega National Forest6,129
Reed BrakeTalladega National Forest621
Arkansas (5)
AreaForestAcres
Bear MountainOuachita National Forest1,910
Blue MountainOuachita National Forest9,755
Clifty CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,963
Dismal CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest9,160
Little BlakelyOuachita National Forest3,342
Georgia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Kelly RidgeChattahoochee National Forest8,325
Lance CreekChattahoochee National Forest9,025
Indiana (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mogan RidgeHoosier National Forest8,435
Kentucky (1)
AreaForestAcres
WolfpenDaniel Boone National Forest2,835
Louisiana (1)
AreaForestAcres
Saline Bayou W & S River CorridorKisatchie National Forest5,355
Mississippi (1)
AreaForestAcres
Sandy Creek Rare Ii AreaHomochitto National Forest2,620
North Carolina (6)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Dobson KnobPisgah National Forest6,111
Harper CreekPisgah National Forest7,325
Linville Gorge AdditionPisgah National Forest2,809
SnowbirdNantahala National Forest8,489
Tusquitee BaldNantahala National Forest13,670
Tennessee (4)
AreaForestAcres
Bald River Gorge AdditionCherokee National Forest1,728
Devil's BackboneCherokee National Forest4,287
Stone MountainCherokee National Forest5,367
Upper Bald RiverCherokee National Forest9,202
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Little Lake CreekNational Forests in Texas596
Virginia (12)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Crawford MountainGeorge Washington National Forest9,892
Elliott KnobGeorge Washington National Forest9,380
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Mill MountainGeorge Washington National Forest10,840
New London Bridge BranchJefferson National Forest844
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
Oliver MountainGeorge Washington National Forest13,090
Peters Mountain Addition BJefferson National Forest2,909
Three SistersGeorge Washington National Forest8,149
References (7)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2009. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 8. Magnoliophyta: Paeoniaceae to Ericaceae. Oxford University Press, New York. xxiv + 585 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. Little, E.L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). Agriculture Handbook No. 541. U.S. Forest Service, Washington, D.C. 375 pp.
  6. Record, S., and C. Mell. 1924. Timbers of Tropical America. New Haven: Yale University Press, U.S.A. 610 pages.
  7. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2023. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of April 14, 2023. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2105 pp.