is this persimmon

[sonny]

I've walked by these trees before but had never attempted to identify them 'til here recently when a buddy pointed one out on his property.
Pic was taken yesterday while out squirrel hunting,,,so no leaves unfortunately.

If it's not persimmon what else could it be ??

pic taken in central Va, Cumberland County.
   

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[Pat B]

Looks more like sourwood to me. Take a pic of the tree's crown. A lot can be told by the limb structure of a tree. Bark, in many cases is a good ID criteria but as a tree ages, its bark can and usually does change. The crown, unless disturbed by other trees usually is good for IDing a tree. If you look at the Audubon Field Guide and other tree ID books  they show a silhouette of a naked tree. It is an important piece id ID info.
   Also, if it is sourwood you will see the remnants of the seed pods and with persimmon you will see old fruit still attached.       Pat

[RG]

Like Pat said and persimmon bark is not that course

[wvfknapper]

Might be as Pat said, sourwood or maybe Gum

wvflintknapper

[mullet]

   My guess is Sweet Gum.

[sonny]

It's not a good pic where color is concerned but the bark is more light brown as opposed to gray.....
I'll have to mark that tree with some surveyor's ribbon and check it out in the spring when the leaves appear.   

[TRACY]

Looks like the persimmons in my yard. Would like more pics of crown/twig but definitely has the typical "alligator hide" bark. Not sure what sourwood is, scientific name maybe?

[Glenn R.]

Sonny, it looks an awful lot like the wild persimmon we have here in Illinois---if anything ours are even more course in appearance--I hunt over a lot of persimmon stands. Normally, there will be a stand of 3 to 7 trees together in the woods. Seldom do I see just one by itself. Go back in Sept. and check for fruit or check the leaves against a tree guide. Get a chance I'll take some pics. and post for you.

[Hillbilly]

Tracy, sourwood is Oxydendrum arboreum. Sonny, that could very well be persimmon. It has rough bark like that, but it's usually a bit more broken up into a squarish blocky structure. Like Pat said, seeing the whole tree would help. Persimmon trees are dioceous, so you would only see fruit remnants on female trees.

[sonny]

thanks Steve for confirming that only female trees bear fruit. I did some quick research and felt a little loopy after reading through one site..

[koan]

Looks like the persimmon we cut...and the fruit was still on it at the time. .....Brian

[TRACY]

Thanks for the scientific name Hillbilly, I'm not so good w/ common names. Pat B has the best advice for ID, but it looks like bow material none the less.

[Coo-wah-chobee]

.....................How tall is tree Sonny ? Looks like persimmon ta me ..bob

[sonny]

not really sure how tall it is.
I'm gonna try to remember to get a pic of the crown so y'all can see it....or maybe wait 'til spring when the leaves sprout so that I can positively ID it.
 

[mullet]

  Well, I just looked in my Audubon Field guide and I found one on picture frame 83. It is a dead ringer for your trunk picture. It is the Common Persimmom, "Diospyros virginiana L."