Diospyros mespiliformis The heart wood is fine-grained and strong, and is often used for making wood floors and furniture. Trunks of the tree are used for canoes. The wood ranges in color from light reddish-brown to a very dark brown. Diospyros mespiliformis Diospyros mespiliformis, the jackalberry (also known as African ebony and by its Afrikaans name jakkalsbessie), is a large dioecious evergreen tree found mostly in the savannas of Africa. Jackals are fond of the fruit, hence the common names. It is a member of the family Ebenaceae, and is related to the true ebony ("D. ebenum") and edible persimmon ("D. kaki").
Diospyros whyteana Diospyros whyteana Diospyros whyteana (also known as the bladdernut, swartbas, wild coffee or umTenatane) is a small African tree of the ebony family. Bearing dark green, strikingly glossy leaves and creamy fragrant flowers, it is increasingly cultivated in Southern African gardens as an attractive and strong ornamental tree. It can attain a height of up to 6m. The Bladdernut has a wide distribution, occurring from Cape Town in the south, to as far north as Ethiopia. It naturally grows in Afro-montane forest and on rocky mountain slopes. This decorative little tree is excellent for gardens, with its tidy shape, dark