Diospyros virginiana fruited "yates", which is a late ripening variety) remain astringent even when the fruit has become completely soft (at least in the British climate). Frost, however, destroys the cells within the fruit, causing it to rot instead of ripen. Only completely ripe and soft fruit can stand some frost; it will then dry and become even sweeter (hence the misconception). The same goes for the Oriental persimmon ("Diospyros kaki"), where early frost can severely damage a fruit crop. Diospyros virginiana Diospyros virginiana is a persimmon species commonly called the American persimmon, common persimmon, eastern persimmon, "simmon", "possumwood", "possum apples", or
Diospyros atrata Diospyros atrata Diospyros atrata, is a tree in the Ebony family. Usually may grow to 25 metres tall. The plant can be seen in subcanopy trees in medium elevation wet evergreen forests between 1000 and 1400 m in Western Ghats- South Sahyadri, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu in India and from Kandy district in Sri Lanka Common names include "Kalu Kenda" in Sinhala language, and "Gusvakendu" in Tamil. The trunk of the plant is buttressed, and the bark is smooth, black, and flaky. Young branchlets are terete, yellowish, with apical and axillary buds are black, and hairy. Leaves of "D. atrata"