The fruit pulp can be turned into molasses and the seeds can be turned into a peanut-like oil or roasted and used as a coffee substitute. Dried leaves make a great tea high in vitamin C. The roasted seed can even be used as a coffee substitute. Overall, Diospyros virginiana is a very versatile, edible tree.

Food (Fruit or Vegetable): Its fruit is edible when ripe. Timber & Products: The timber is used for carpentry, furniture and handicrafts. Others: The unripe fruits and leaves are used to extract tannin to dye cloth black and for tanning nets and hides. The tannin is also medicinally.

Leaves, barks, fruits, hard wood, and roots have been used as tonic, powder, and poultice to heal a wide range of illnesses such as asthma, dermatitis, hypertension, atherosclerosis, lumbago, hemorrhage, insomnia, biliousness, among others.

The genus is best known for its edible fruits and black wood. The name Diospyros has a Greek origin which translates as 'divine wheat', akin to meaning 'fruit of the gods'. Edible fruits of Diospyros species have a rather fibrous texture but are full of vitamins and minerals.