The common persimmon is bearing fruits on the Fairway.
The ebony family (Ebenaceae) comprises many hundreds of species of trees and shrubs from tropical and warm-temperate zones, with approximately 550 species belonging to the genus Diospyros. Few members of the genus are hardy in the United Kingdom, but Diospyros virginiana is one of these. It is a deciduous native of the south eastern United States, where it can reach 30m. During autumn the ovate foliage takes on yellow tints and the globular fruits ripen to initially take on a soft orange flush before maturing to a deep red-purple, though seldom do they reach this point in our climate. D. virginiana is a versatile tree, with the edible fruits being harvested for baking, the leaves used as an infusion, and the hard wood used in the production of golf club heads, billiard cues and shoe lasts.