Mamey sapote

Tree facts

Scientific name

Pouteria sapota

Origin

Southern Mexico and Central America

Tree size

40–60 ft if left alone; can be kept at 15–20 ft with pruning

Growth rate

Medium

Sun

Full sun

Soil

Deep, well-drained soil; grows well in South Florida limestone. Doesn't tolerate flooding.

Soil pH

5.5–7.5

Pollination

Self-fertile; one tree is enough

Cold hardiness

Young trees are damaged near 32°F; mature trees take brief dips to about 28°F

USDA zones

10b–11

Years to first fruit

3–5 for a grafted tree

Season

Year-round

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

Aug–Sep

Taste

Sweet, rich and creamy, like pumpkin pie, sweet potato and almond

Nutrition

Good source of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin E and carotenoids

Is mamey sapote safe to eat? Edible and toxic parts

What you can eat

• Ripe flesh, raw

Toxic parts and cautions

• Take care: The large seed is not edible raw. Its kernel contains cyanogenic compounds; in Mexico it's used only after careful roasting and processing.
• Good to know: Immature fruit is hard, bland and full of latex. Use the scratch test before picking.

Pets: A little ripe flesh is fine for dogs. Keep the seed and skin away from pets.

How to eat and enjoy mamey sapote

• Batido de mamey, a milkshake (Cuba)
• Fresh, halved and scooped with a spoon
• Ice cream, flan and cheesecake
• Smoothies with banana and milk

Mamey sapote varieties (8)

• Copan

  A mamey named for the Maya city of Copán, with rich, sweet flesh.

  Taste: Sweet

• Lorito

  A Cuban mamey with medium fruit and rich, sweet flesh.

  Origin: Cuba · Taste: Rich, sweet · Size: Medium

• Magaña · also Magana

  A very large mamey, often several pounds, with sweet orange-red flesh.

  Origin: Mexico · Taste: Sweet, creamy · Size: Very large

• Mayapan

  A mamey named for the Maya city of Mayapán, with sweet, creamy fruit.

  Taste: Sweet, creamy

• Pace

  An older Florida mamey with red-orange flesh and good flavor.

  Origin: Florida · Taste: Sweet, rich

• Pantin · also Key West

  Florida's most popular mamey, with smooth, deep salmon flesh and excellent flavor.

  Origin: Florida Keys · Taste: Rich, sweet, creamy · Size: Medium to large

• Tazumal

  A mamey with sweet, smooth flesh.

  Origin: El Salvador · Taste: Sweet

• Viejo

  A mamey with smooth, sweet red flesh.

  Origin: Cuba · Taste: Sweet, rich

Pests and diseases to watch for

• Caribbean fruit fly

  Ripe fruit with tiny puncture marks; maggots inside and soft, rotting spots.

  What to do: Pick fruit slightly early and ripen indoors.

• 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.