Forest & Kim Starr
Family
Annonaceae
Botanical Name
Annona squamosa
Plant Common Name
Sugar Apple
General Description
This is a small, tropical semi-deciduous tree, named and grown for its unusual, delicious fruits called sugar apples, sweetsops or custard apples. They have a thick rind divided into knobby segments that separate when the fruit ripens to reveal conical, creamy-white segments of sweet, fragrant flesh, some containing a single seed. The flowers are fragrant and bloom on the branch tips singly or in clusters of two to four. Never fully open, they are yellow-green on the outside and pale yellow on the inside. The irregular branches and zig-zagging twigs make an open crown. The leaves are dark-green above and a lighter green below.
Even a slight frost may injure or kill this tree, so it is grown mainly in tropical and sub-tropical regions. It is not fussy about soil. It grows and fruits best in dry regions, when given water, but needs humidity when flowering for adequate pollination In drought, the fruit rind hardens and will split when rain arrives. Dry winters also lead to more loss of foliage. This tree grows best in full sun to part sun in fertile, well-drained soil.
The fruit is usually eaten fresh, the flesh chewed and swallowed, the seeds spat out. This is an acquired skill; the seeds are toxic and must not be eaten. In Malaysia the fruit is sieved to remove the seeds and the flesh is used in ice cream or milk for a cool drink. Flowering and fruiting occur in the summer. The softball-sized wide fleshy fruit are light-green with overlapping segments. The sweet flesh is white with many black seeds and the individual segments separate at maturity. The fruit may be eaten fresh or made into drinks and ice cream. 'Kampong Mauve' has mauve-colored fruit that is sweeter than regular varieties.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
12 - 9
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USDA Hardiness Zone
10 - 13
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Plant Type
Fruit
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
15'-20' / 4.6m - 6.1m
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Width
20'-25' / 6.1m - 7.6m
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Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
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Native To
Caribbean, South America
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Insignificant
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Flower Color
Yellow Green
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Fruit Color
Light Green, Sea Green
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Light Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Light Green
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Light Green
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Foliage Color (Winter)
Light Green
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Bark Color
Slate Gray
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Fragrant Flowers
No
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Fragrant Fruit
Yes
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Fragrant Foliage
Yes
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Flower Petal Number
Single
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
No
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Edible Fruit
Yes
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Showy Foliage
No
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Foliage Texture
Medium
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Foliage Sheen
Matte
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Evergreen
Semi-Evergreen
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Showy Bark
No
