persimmons
Native orange fruit of the woods, sweet after frost and famous for puckering you first.
Also called 'simmons, simmons.
Updated September 24, 2026
persimmons pronunciation
/per-SIM-unz/
Meaning
In rural Southern and Appalachian talk, persimmons means the wild American fruit hanging on fence-line trees after a hard freeze. Folks shorten it to 'simmons. Eat one green and your mouth locks up. Wait for frost, and they turn soft and sweet. Fall talk runs to 'simmon pudding, possums in the tree, and kids shaking ripe ones onto a sheet.
How folks use it
- “Don't bite that persimmon yet; it ain't had a frost on it.”
- “Mama's making 'simmon pudding with the persimmons we shook down.”
Origin and etymology
From Algonquian via early colonial English for the American persimmon tree (Diospyros virginiana). Southern speech clipped it to 'simmon in folk songs and kitchen talk. The fruit stuck in redneck foodways through pudding, beer, and the old pairing of possums and 'simmons.
Frequently asked questions
Why do people wait for frost to eat persimmons?
Unripe ones are bitter enough to pucker your whole face. Frost or full ripeness turns them soft and sweet.