Sapodilla

Tree facts

Scientific name

Manilkara zapota

Origin

Southern Mexico and Central America

Tree size

30–50 ft if left alone; can be kept at 15–20 ft

Growth rate

Slow

Sun

Full sun

Soil

Very adaptable: sand, limestone or clay, if it drains. Tolerates salt.

Soil pH

6.0–8.0

Pollination

Most cultivars are self-fertile; one tree is enough

Cold hardiness

Young trees are damaged near 30°F; mature trees take brief dips to about 26–28°F

USDA zones

10–11 (9b with protection)

Years to first fruit

3–5 for a grafted tree

Season

Mar–Sep

Water

About every 14 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 and malty, like brown sugar, pear and caramel, with a soft, slightly grainy texture

Nutrition

Good source of fiber, with some vitamin C and potassium

Is sapodilla safe to eat? Edible and toxic parts

What you can eat

• Ripe flesh, raw

Toxic parts and cautions

• Take care: Don't eat the seeds. They contain saponins and can cause stomach pain and vomiting; the small hook on each seed can also catch in the throat.
• Good to know: Unripe fruit is full of sticky, astringent latex and is unpleasant to eat. Wait until it's fully soft.

Pets: A little ripe, seeded flesh is fine for dogs. Keep seeds and skin away from pets.

How to eat and enjoy sapodilla

• Fresh, halved and scooped with a spoon
• Batidos and milkshakes (Latin America)
• Chikoo milkshake and ice cream (India)
• Sorbet and fruit salads

Sapodilla varieties (10)

• Alano

  A productive sapodilla with sweet, smooth, medium-sized fruit; a standard in Florida.

  Taste: Sweet, smooth · Size: Medium

• Brown Sugar

  Named for its sweet, brown-sugar flavor.

  Origin: Florida · Taste: Sweet, rich · Size: Medium

• Hasya

  A large, elongated sapodilla with sweet, smooth flesh.

  Taste: Sweet, smooth · Size: Large

• Makok

  A small-fruited Thai sapodilla on a compact tree that bears heavily.

  Origin: Thailand · Taste: Very sweet · Size: Small

• Molix

  A sapodilla with sweet, medium fruit.

  Taste: Sweet

• Morena

  A sapodilla with round, sweet fruit.

  Taste: Sweet

• Prolific

  An older Florida sapodilla named for its heavy, early bearing.

  Origin: Florida · Taste: Sweet

• Russell

  An older Florida sapodilla with large, rich-flavored fruit.

  Origin: Florida · Taste: Rich, sweet · Size: Large

• Silas Woods

  A Florida Keys sapodilla that bears young and heavily.

  Origin: Florida Keys · Taste: Sweet

• Tikal

  An early-ripening sapodilla with excellent flavor and elliptical fruit.

  Origin: Florida · Taste: Rich, sweet · Size: Small to medium

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.