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
Wildlife of Mauritius heathland in the mountains. Most of this natural vegetation has been destroyed and what remains is threatened by the spread of introduced plants. Native trees include eleven surviving species of Mauritius ebony ("Diospyros tesselaria", "Diospyros egrettarum", "Diospyros revaughanii", "Diospyros melanida", "Diospyros leucomelas" and several others), takamaka ("Calophyllum tacamahaca"), manglier vert ("Sideroxylon cinereum"), manglier rouge ("Sideroxylon puberulum"), Ox tree ("Polyscias maraisiana"), Bois de Natte ("Labourdonnaisia" species) and a range of other indigenous and endemic tree species. The palm species that are indigenous to the island of Mauritius comprise "Acanthophoenix rubra" (possibly other species), "Dictyosperma album (var. album & conjugatum)", "Hyophorbe amaricaulis",