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Ackee

Blighia sapida

A West African tree, now Jamaica's national fruit, with red pods that split open to show creamy arils topped by shiny black seeds. Properly prepared arils are delicious, but unripe or mishandled fruit is poisonous.

Tree facts

Scientific name
Blighia sapida
Origin
West Africa
Tree size
30–40 ft
Growth rate
Medium
Sun
Full sun
Soil
Adaptable; any well-drained soil
Soil pH
5.5–7.5
Pollination
One tree is enough
Cold hardiness
Frost-tender; damaged near 32°F
USDA zones
10b–11
Years to first fruit
3–5
Season
Jan–Aug
Water
About every 10 days once established, without rain; more in heat, in pots and while young
Feeding
About every 90 days, Mar–Sep
Pruning
Sep–Oct
Taste
Mild, buttery and nutty; when cooked, its soft texture is often compared to scrambled eggs
Nutrition
Rich in fat, mostly unsaturated, with some protein and fiber

Is ackee safe to eat? Edible and toxic parts

What you can eat

  • Cream-colored arils from pods that opened naturally on the tree, cleaned and boiled

Toxic parts and cautions

  • Toxic: Unripe arils and the seeds contain hypoglycin A, which causes Jamaican vomiting sickness: severe vomiting, dangerously low blood sugar, seizures and sometimes death, especially in children. Eat only arils from pods that opened (yawned) on their own on the tree. Never force a pod open or eat fruit that fell or was picked closed.
  • Toxic: Never eat the black seeds or the pink-red membrane at the base of each aril. Remove both, boil the arils, and throw away the cooking water.
  • Take care: Don't eat damaged, bruised or overripe fruit. When in doubt, buy canned ackee from an approved source.

Pets: Keep all pets and livestock away from the pods, seeds and fallen fruit. Unripe fruit and seeds are poisonous to animals too.

How to eat and enjoy ackee

  • Ackee and saltfish, Jamaica's national dish
  • Sautéed with onions, peppers and tomatoes
  • Curried ackee

When it's ripe

Wait until the pod turns red-yellow and splits fully open on the tree, showing the black seeds. Pick only then, ideally within a day or two of opening.

Storing it

Clean and boil arils the day you pick them. Cooked arils keep 1–2 days refrigerated and freeze well.

Ackee varieties (2)

  • Butter

    The traditional type with soft, yellow arils that break up when cooked.

    Taste: Rich, buttery

  • Cheese

    The traditional type with firmer, cream-colored arils that hold their shape when cooked.

    Taste: Mild, nutty

Pests and diseases to watch for

  • Scale insects

    Small bumps, waxy or shell-like, on stems and leaf veins; sticky honeydew and black sooty mold below.

    What to do: Scrub small colonies off with a soft brush.

  • Mealybugs

    White cottony clusters in leaf joints, under leaves and on fruit stems; honeydew and sooty mold.

    What to do: Blast off with a strong spray of water.

  • Aphids

    Clusters of tiny soft insects on new shoots; leaves curl and get sticky.

    What to do: Spray off with water.

  • Sooty mold

    Black, papery film on leaves and fruit that wipes off; it grows on honeydew.

    What to do: Control the insects making honeydew; the mold then weathers away.

  • Spider mites

    Fine pale speckling on leaves, dusty undersides and fine webbing; leaves bronze and drop.

    What to do: Hose the undersides of leaves.

Growing ackees? Let Gardyn keep track.

Gardyn tells you when your ackee needs water based on your local weather, reminds you to feed and prune in season, and keeps every harvest and photo.

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General guidance, not medical or veterinary advice. Poison Control (US): 1-800-222-1222. ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435.