Brush - Range & Pasture - Texas Persimmon

BES-TEX BRUSH ID GUIDE

Texas Persimmon

Mexican Persimmon, Black Persimmon

Diospyros texana

Perennial Woody Brush

Plant Type

Shrub or small tree; persimmon family (Ebenaceae)

Life Cycle

Perennial; native

Leaf Habit

[PLACEHOLDER]

Typical Height

Usually under 15 ft (Texas A&M)

Photo Gallery

Texas persimmon shrub with pale gray stems and small, thick leaves — **Whole Plant** Photo: homeredwardprice, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Texas persimmon twig with small leaves and green and ripe black fruit, with seeds and coins for scale — **Black Fruit and Leaves** Photo: Wyatt915, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to Identify It

Quick ID

Bark

Gray, slick, and thin; wood almost black (Texas A&M)

Leaves

Oval, rounded at the tips
Fine hairs underneath (Texas A&M)

Fruit

Up to 1 inch across, green turning black when ripe
3 to 8 seeds (Texas A&M)

Look-Alikes

Common Persimmon

Common persimmon has dark, blocky checkered bark and orange fruit (Texas A&M)

Counter script: "If it is a shrub with smooth, slick gray bark, small rounded leaves, and black fruit, it is most likely Texas persimmon."

Where It Grows

Texas

Western two-thirds of the state; can dominate some Central Texas pastures (Texas A&M)
Central Texas, Edwards Plateau, Post Oak Savannah, South Texas Plains, Coastal Prairie (Brush Busters)

Oklahoma

[PLACEHOLDER]

New Mexico

[PLACEHOLDER]

Sites and soils: Rocky, open woodlands, arroyos, and open slopes (Texas A&M).

Best Time to Control

Brush Busters stem spray: in spring after the leaves mature and before June 15.

Texas persimmon is a woody perennial. No pre-emergent herbicide controls texas persimmon.

Treatment Methods

Basal Bark (Stem) Spray

For stems 4 inches or smaller, with 3 or fewer stems (Brush Busters)
Spray the bottom 12 inches of the stem down to the soil (Texas A&M)
Example product: Remedy Ultra (Corteva)
Mix (Brush Busters): Remedy Ultra 25% in diesel

Foliar Spray

Surmount and PastureGard HL (Corteva) list Texas persimmon; follow the label

Cut Stump

Cut every stem flat, close to (not below) the soil surface
Brush off soil and sawdust, then spray the cut surface and the sides of the stump right away
Example product: Remedy Ultra (Corteva); Brush Busters lists Texas persimmon for this method
Mix (Brush Busters): Remedy Ultra 15% (19 oz per gallon) in diesel or vegetable oil

Individual Plant vs. Broadcast

Density guidance for this plant: [PLACEHOLDER]
Follow the label for broadcast use

Product names are examples only. Always read and follow the product label. For product selection and help, contact BES-TEX at 325.653.1300.

Sources: Brush Busters: How to Tame Texas Persimmon and How to Avoid Lumps When Treating Cut Stumps (Texas A&M AgriLife) for Remedy Ultra mixes; Surmount label, EPA Reg. No. 62719-480; PastureGard HL label, EPA Reg. No. 62719-637; Texas A&M Plants of Texas Rangelands.