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
Diospyros crassiflora for Conservation of Nature classifies it as an endangered species. Diospyros crassiflora Diospyros crassiflora, commonly known as Gabon ebony, African ebony, West African ebony, and Benin ebony, is a species of lowland-rainforest tree in the family Ebenaceae that is endemic to Western Africa. It is named after the West African state of Gabon, though it also occurs in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria. The wood this particular tree produces is believed to be the blackest of all timber-producing "Diospyros" species, and the heartwood from this tree has been in extremely