Atemoya
Annona × atemoya
A hybrid of sugar apple and cherimoya, first made in Florida in 1908. It combines the sugar apple's heat tolerance with cherimoya's richer flavor and fewer seeds.
Tree facts
- Scientific name
- Annona × atemoya
- Origin
- Hybrid first made in Florida
- Tree size
- 20–30 ft if left alone; usually kept at 10–15 ft
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil
- Well-drained soil, including sand and limestone. Rots in wet ground.
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7.5
- Pollination
- Self-fertile, but flowers are female first and male later; hand-pollinating greatly improves fruit set and shape
- Cold hardiness
- Somewhat hardier than sugar apple; mature trees take brief dips to about 27–28°F
- USDA zones
- 9b–11
- Years to first fruit
- 2–3 for a grafted tree
- Season
- Aug–Nov
- Water
- About every 7 days once established, without rain; more in heat, in pots and while young
- Feeding
- About every 90 days, Mar–Aug
- Pruning
- Feb–Mar
- Taste
- Sweet, smooth and slightly tangy, often compared to piña colada or vanilla custard
- Nutrition
- Good source of vitamin C, potassium and fiber
Is atemoya safe to eat? Edible and toxic parts
What you can eat
- Ripe pulp, raw, with the seeds removed
Toxic parts and cautions
- Toxic: The seeds are toxic. They contain annonacin and related compounds; don't chew, crush or blend them.
- Take care: Annonacin is a nerve toxin also present in the fruit. Heavy, long-term consumption of annona fruit and leaf tea has been linked to an atypical Parkinson's-like illness. Enjoy the fruit in moderation.
Pets: Keep seeds away from pets. Small amounts of seedless pulp are unlikely to harm a dog but aren't a recommended treat.
How to eat and enjoy atemoya
- Fresh, chilled and eaten with a spoon
- Smoothies and milkshakes, seeds removed
- Sorbet and fruit salads
When it's ripe
Pick full-sized fruit when the skin lightens to pale yellow-green and the spaces between the bumps turn cream-colored. It softens on the counter in 2–5 days and is ready when it gives to gentle pressure. Fruit tends to split after heavy rain.
Storing it
Refrigerate ripe fruit for 1–2 days. Seeded pulp freezes well.
Atemoya varieties (5)
African Pride · also Kaller
A small, early-bearing atemoya with sweet, juicy fruit.
Origin: South Africa · Taste: Sweet · Size: Small to medium
Bradley
An older Florida atemoya with sweet fruit.
Origin: Florida · Taste: Sweet
Gefner
The most widely grown atemoya in Florida, a reliable producer of medium, sweet fruit.
Origin: Israel · Taste: Sweet, smooth · Size: Medium
Sets some fruit without hand-pollination.
Lisa
A Florida atemoya selection with sweet, smooth fruit.
Origin: Florida · Taste: Sweet, smooth
Pink's Mammoth · also Pink's Prolific
A large-fruited Australian atemoya with very good flavor and few seeds.
Origin: Australia · Taste: Rich, sweet · Size: Large
Needs hand-pollination for good crops.
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 atemoyas? Let Gardyn keep track.
Gardyn tells you when your atemoya needs water based on your local weather, reminds you to feed and prune in season, and keeps every harvest and photo.
Request accessGeneral guidance, not medical or veterinary advice. Poison Control (US): 1-800-222-1222. ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435.