Bad press for the persimmon tree goes back as far as the early 17th century, when John Smith himself wrote that if a persimmon is "not ripe, it will draw a man's mouth awrie with much torment." A ripe persimmon though, is a different story altogether. The American persimmon is native in the Eastern US from Connecticut to Florida, and will thrive in Charleston. Why not add a tree to your backyard? Read the full article here: Delectable, No-Work Native Persimmon has Gotten a Bum Rap