Tree Description:
Large shrub or small understory tree, to 20 feet tall and trunks 4" to 8" in diameter, with an open, oval crown and glossy foliage.
Range/Site Description:
Usually found in the understory of fertile woods in East Texas, west to the moist canyons of the Edwards Plateau.
Leaf:
Simple, alternate, 3" to 6" long, oval or elliptical, leaf edge without teeth; veins are distinctive, running parallel to eachother from the midrib. Leaves are glossy and dark green on top, lighter and somewhat pubescent underneath, turning yellow-orange in the fall.
Flower:
Small clusters of green-to-white flowers, only 0.1" or so across, borne in the axils between the twig and the leaf on short stalks.
Fruit:
A round, orange or red drupe, about 0.25" in diameter, on a short stalk, ripening in late summer or early fall; attractive to birds.
Bark:
Smooth, tight, gray to brown, developing patches and shallow furrows on older trunks.
Wood:
Yellow sapwood is distinctive. Used principally as an ornamental tree for landscapes.
Similar Species:
Common persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) is a medium to large tree with dark, blocky bark and large, edible fruits in the fall. Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) is a shrub with leaves that are very aromatic when crushed.
Interesting Facts:
Formerly classified in the genus Rhamnus.
