Does anyone have any idea if this is normal? This persimmon puts some very necessary shade on our west-facing front porch in the summer and I would sure hate for anything to happen to it. It's entirely possible that this is an annual occurrence that we've just never noticed before. The entire trunk looks like this as best we can see. No other persimmons that we changed have this happening perhaps because they are much smaller.
A closer look at the bark and sap.
Trees usually produce resins in response to injury whether it is a physical injury or one done by an insect. If the tree hasn't been physically injured, try removing some of the resin to see if there are bore holes leading into the trunk. I'm assuming this is an American persimmon tree. I found some information that may help you.
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/volume_2/diospyros/virginiana.htm
http://hort.ufl.edu/trees/DIOVIRA.pdf
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IN669
You might try contacting your local Extension Service agent. Better yet if you have a state forest service, contact them. Sometimes they are willing to go look at the affected tree. Since you have a lot to lose if the tree dies, contact a certified arborist. It will cost money, but if you value the tree, it may be worth it.
Thanks for the info. It's a male American Persimmon. We lost about half of the top a few years ago in a hurricane. Not the greatest looking tree and a bit unpleasant at times when it is full of webworms, but still we would miss it tremendously in the summer. I've not got money to put into it right now, so perhaps I'll start coming up with a Plan B and think of replacement trees.
