Diospyros virginiana
persimmon
Usually Found in the South-East of the country (
Diospyros virginiana
persimmon
background
Grows in unwelcoming environments Spreads quickly from sucker roots + sprouts vigorously after fires.
Pioneer Plant
Prefers moist soils (overflow water in lowlands helps to spread seeds sometimes) Grows best at river bottoms and on the terraces of large streams. Regardless, the plant is flexible and can grow slowly in drier uplands
Diospyros virginiana
persimmon
}
makes it an appropriate species for the Mississippi river area where there are usually wet flats and swamp margins
context
Conical in shape
90 degree Branching (as a pioneer species I am not competing for sunlight and therefore can grow outwards)
35-60 ft
Well adapted to Fire: Sprouts from Root Collar
Sprouts from Sucker Roots
(In severe fires that char the soil, roots and rootstock can be destroyed. This indicates that the plant evolved from smaller frequent burnings)
Diospyros virginiana
up to 35 ft
persimmon
structure
Very Thick + Hard • Prevents injury from animals climbing tree (Potentially actually aids animals to climb the tree by adding ‘steps’) • Offers protection from sap-sucking woodpeckers, insects and disease •Protects Cambium from elements •Insulates the species from intense sunlight present in cleared fields especially in early succession growth Protects from wind damage, salt spray, and pollution also at risk in early succession growth.
Diospyros virginiana
persimmon
bark
Dioecious: Male and Female organs on different plants • Evolutionary Explanation: selective pressure from increased outcrossing caused hermaphroditic plants to acquire mutations sterilizing either the female or male organs. • Separating the male and female parts ensures pollination from different genes, thus maintaining the health of the population. • Perhaps the separation of sexes on plants is a more efficient use of resources. This allows females to use more resources on seed production, and males to use more resources on flower production (why they may be in clusters). Males are looking for more pollination, while females are looking for quality for quality pollination.
MALE
• Ensures ‘Restrictive Foraging’ because males produce more flowers to attract pollinators first, and then they resort to the females flowers (of which there are fewer in number) afterwards.
FEMALE
Diospyros virginiana
persimmon
flowers
Seeds: dispersed by animals who eat the succlant berries Very hard seeds (and toxic) and are therefore not digested by animals. Instead they are discarded in feces. 1-8 Flat seeds in each fruit. The flatness makes them easily swallow-able without being chewed. Seeds are strongly bound the fruits pulp increasing the chances that the seeds will not be spat out. Fruit remains very bitter (chalky to humans) up until seeds are fully developed. This prevents animals from eating the fruit (and wasting the seeds) before they are ready to be planted. Orange Fruit catches the eye of animals as a method of advertisement. Fruit is low in protein, fat and calcium, but what they lack in nutrients, they make up for in taste, encouraging their consumption. Ripe fruits remain unspoiled (both on and off the tree) for long periods of time, making them available for consumptions longer (fruit ripens SeptNov) into the winter.
Diospyros virginiana
persimmon
seeds.fruit
Seeds: dispersed by animals who eat the succlant berries Very hard seeds (and toxic) and are therefore not digested by animals. Instead they are discarded in feces. 1-8 Flat seeds in each fruit. The flatness makes them easily swallow-able without being chewed. Seeds are strongly bound the fruits pulp increasing the chances that the seeds will not be spat out. Fruit remains very bitter (chalky to humans) up until seeds are fully developed. This prevents animals from eating the fruit (and wasting the seeds) before they are ready to be planted. Orange Fruit catches the eye of animals as a method of advertisement. Fruit is low in protein, fat and calcium, but what they lack in nutrients, they make up for in taste, encouraging their consumption. Ripe fruits remain unspoiled (both on and off the tree) for long periods of time, making them available for consumptions longer (fruit ripens SeptNov) into the winter.
Diospyros virginiana
persimmon
seeds.fruit
Small Omnivores as Seed Dispersal Agents: 1.)
• Mesopredator Release - historically they were not as prevalent as herbivores of the same size. Today however there are less predators of these small animals (decrease in wolves, bobcats, cougars. This potentially means that historically smaller animals as a dispersal agent were not as effective as they are now. • Place a high importance on their feces as a way to mark territory. The territorial markers are not usually ideal locations for a seed to develop. 2.) Dioecious • Requires both male and females plants to be present in a near-by area for reproduction • Could result in lower reproduction rates as it is not guaranteed that pollinators will travel from male to female plants (of the same species) ‘correctly’.
Diospyros virginiana
persimmon
trade-offs
Deep Tap Root: Erosion Control
Bright Colour of Fruit is Ornamental
Could be a Contributer to Edible Landscapes
Grows in a Variety Locations + Reestablishes Ecosystems
Hard to Control Suckering
Can Leave a Mess on the Ground
(Difficult to transplant)
design considerations
Diospyros virginiana
persimmon