Diospyros mespiliformis, the jackal-berry or African ebony, is a shade tree of note in the hot summers of the South African northeast, the provinces of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal (SA Tree List No. 606). The large distribution of the species lies, however, mainly to the north of South Africa in the African tropics to Ethiopia.

The tree usually reaches from 10 m to 15 m in height, sometimes 25 m. It is often found in riparian woodland and on termite mounds, good places for finding the sustenance to reach great heights.

The crown of the African ebony is dense and rounded to spreading in shape (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Grant and Thomas, 2001; Venter and Venter, 1996; Van Wyk and Van Wyk, 1997).