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Soursop

Annona muricata

A small, fast-growing annona with large, spiny green fruit full of soft, white, tangy-sweet pulp. It's the most tropical of the annonas and is prized across Latin America and Southeast Asia for juice and ice cream.

Tree facts

Scientific name
Annona muricata
Origin
Caribbean and northern South America
Tree size
15–25 ft
Growth rate
Fast
Sun
Full sun; tolerates light shade
Soil
Well-drained soil; tolerates sand and limestone if it doesn't stay wet
Soil pH
5.5–7.0
Pollination
Self-fertile, but flowers are female first and male later, so natural fruit set is often poor; hand-pollinating gives more and better-shaped fruit
Cold hardiness
The most cold-sensitive annona: leaves are damaged near 32°F and young trees can die in light frost
USDA zones
10b–11
Years to first fruit
3–5
Season
Jun–Oct
Water
About every 7 days once established, without rain; more in heat, in pots and while young
Feeding
About every 90 days, Mar–Sep
Pruning
Feb–Mar
Taste
Tangy and sweet, like pineapple, strawberry and banana blended into custard; fibrous in some trees
Nutrition
Good source of vitamin C and fiber

Is soursop safe to eat? Edible and toxic parts

What you can eat

  • Ripe pulp, raw, with the seeds removed
  • Pulp strained for juice and frozen desserts

Toxic parts and cautions

  • Toxic: The seeds are toxic. They contain annonacin and related compounds; never crush, chew or grind them, and strain them out before blending.
  • Take care: Annonacin in the fruit and leaves is a nerve toxin. Heavy, long-term use of soursop fruit and leaf tea has been linked to an atypical form of Parkinson's disease. Enjoy the fruit in moderation, and skip leaf teas and supplements, especially if you have Parkinson's or similar conditions.
  • Take care: Soursop is not a proven cancer treatment. Don't use leaf teas or extracts in place of medical care.
  • Good to know: Seed powder used for lice can severely irritate the eyes.

Pets: Keep seeds away from pets. Small amounts of seedless pulp are unlikely to cause harm, but it isn't a recommended treat.

How to eat and enjoy soursop

  • Jugo or batido de guanábana, blended with milk or water
  • Champola, a soursop milkshake (Cuba)
  • Ice cream, sorbet and popsicles
  • Fresh, scooped with a spoon, spitting out the seeds

When it's ripe

Pick when the fruit turns from dark, glossy green to a duller, lighter yellow-green and the spines soften and spread. It softens on the counter in 3–6 days and is ready when it gives like a ripe avocado.

Storing it

Eat or refrigerate as soon as ripe; it spoils within a day or two. Seeded pulp freezes very well.

Soursop varieties (3)

  • Cuban Fiberless

    A selection valued for smooth, low-fiber pulp.

    Origin: Cuba · Taste: Sweet-tart, smooth

  • Seedling

    Most soursop trees sold are seedlings. Fruit quality varies from sweet to quite sour, and from smooth to fibrous.

  • Whitman Fiberless

    A Florida selection with smooth, low-fiber pulp.

    Origin: Florida · Taste: Sweet-tart, smooth

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 soursops? Let Gardyn keep track.

Gardyn tells you when your soursop 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.