Diospyros texana "D. texana" favors riparian zones, prairie margins, and rocky slopes. It prefers well-drained, alkaline soils]. The sapwood of Texas persimmon is clear yellow, while the heartwood, found only in very large trees, is black (ebony), like that of the related "D. ebenum". The heartwood is hard and dense and takes a high polish. It is used to make engraving blocks, artwork, and tools. The fleshy berries are edible and sweet when ripe and are used in puddings and custards; they are also relished by many species of birds and mammals. They were traditionally used by Native Americans to make a
Tomato states have adopted the tomato as a state fruit or vegetable (see above). "Physalis" that is also used in cooking Tomato The tomato (see pronunciation) is the edible, often red, berry of the nightshade "Solanum lycopersicum", commonly known as a tomato plant. The species originated in western South America. The Nahuatl (Aztec language) word "tomatl" gave rise to the Spanish word "tomate", from which the English word "tomato" derived. Its use as a cultivated food may have originated with the indigenous peoples of Mexico. The Spanish encountered the tomato from their contact with the Aztec during the Spanish colonization of