Wood Species Guide
Persimmon
Diospyros virginiana
Also called: American Persimmon, Common Persimmon, Eastern Persimmon, Possumwood, White Ebony
What Persimmon looks like
Almost all usable wood is a wide band of creamy white to light grayish-brown sapwood, sometimes streaked with darker gray. The true heartwood is black like ebony, its genus cousin, but it is usually only a narrow core.
Grain and texture
Straight grain with a fine, even texture. It is dense and smooth and polishes to a natural sheen.
Working Persimmon: planing, cutting and gluing
Very hard and heavy, so it is tough on cutting edges and takes patience. It turns beautifully and holds crisp detail. It shrinks a lot while drying and is prone to checking, so buy dry stock and let it acclimate.
Finishing Persimmon: oil, film finishes and epoxy
Takes oil and film finishes well and sands to a smooth surface. The pale wood can show dust from dark woods, so clean thoroughly between grits. Epoxy bonds well to its dense surface; scuff sand before pouring.
Durability, stability and Florida humidity
Rated perishable and prone to insect attack, so it is strictly an indoor wood. High shrinkage means it moves more than most with humidity, so keep it in air conditioning and finish all faces.
Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop
Persimmon is a native Florida tree, and its wood has a famous past as golf club heads and textile shuttles because it is so hard and wears so smoothly. Today it is mostly a turner's and small-project wood: tool handles, boxes, inlay and pen blanks. Wide boards are rare. We don't stock it, but if you have a downed persimmon, it is worth saving.
Common uses for Persimmon
Golf club heads (historically), textile shuttles, turnings, tool handles, billiard cues, inlay and small specialty items.
Sustainability and CITES status
Not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List.
Safety and toxicity
- Skin irritation
Few reports. Skin irritation has been reported, and the wood is related to the ebonies, which can be sensitizers. Reactions are uncommon.
- In the shop
- Dust collection + dust mask when sanding
- Food contact
- Good choice for cutting boards, bowls and utensils
General information, not medical advice. See a doctor if you have a reaction.
Persimmon has been reported to cause skin irritation. Use dust collection and a respirator when sanding.
Persimmon in stock now
Ask us. We can often source it.
We don't have Persimmon listed online right now, but new slabs and lumber come in all the time and not everything makes it to the website. Tell us what you're building and we'll check our racks and suppliers.
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