PERSIMMON

The persimmon tree has many other names: some of which are Jove's fruit, possumwood, lotus tree, seeded plum and winter plum. It is not a large tree, seldom exceeding fifty feet in height and eighteen inches in diameter. The nearly black bark of adult trees is deeply checkered into squares.

In May the tiny bell-shaped blossoms appear, ranging in color from white to yellow. They are a favorite of insects, and bees zero in on them just as soon as they bloom. The fruit appears in September as a green berry an inch or more in diameter and is extremely bitter. As autumn advances, the globular ball changes in color to deep orange but it does not ripen fully until after exposure to a heavy frost. Then it becomes a sweet, luscious morsel for opossums, raccoons, deer, and country boys to enjoy.

During the War Between the States when the Union blockaded all the Southern ports, it was impossible for Southerners to obtain coffee; in its stead, they collected and roasted persimmon seeds for a palatable drink. Persimmon beer, brandy and pudding are made in the South today from the popular fruit.

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