Window Trail Stop #11

Do you see any fruit?

NPS/C. Negele

Quick Facts

Location:

Big Bend National Park

As you walk this next straight stretch of trail, look for trees on both sides of the path with smooth, gray bark and small green leaves. These trees are Texas persimmons, and they are common in canyon washes throughout the park. They have a distinctive, peeling bark, bell-shaped white flowers in the spring, and round, black fruit. The fruit is one of the best-tasting wild fruits in Texas. The small, black fruit has sweet pulp that can be eaten raw or made into wine, breads, pies, jams, or sauces. The juice from fully ripe fruit is used to dye hides. Black bears love Texas persimmons, so be alert in the late summer or fall when the fruit is ripe.