Sugar apple

Tree facts

Scientific name

Annona squamosa

Origin

Tropical America (Caribbean and Central America)

Tree size

15–20 ft

Growth rate

Medium to fast

Sun

Full sun

Soil

Any well-drained soil, including sand and limestone. Rots in wet ground.

Soil pH

6.0–8.0

Pollination

Self-fertile, but flowers are female first and male later; hand-pollinating greatly improves fruit set

Cold hardiness

Drops its leaves in cool weather; damaged near 28–30°F

USDA zones

10–11 (9b with protection)

Years to first fruit

2–4

Season

Jul–Oct

Water

About every 10 days once established, without rain; more in heat, in pots and while young

Feeding

About every 90 days, Mar–Aug

Pruning

Feb–Mar

Taste

Very sweet and custardy, with a light vanilla-banana flavor and slightly grainy texture

Nutrition

Good source of vitamin C, potassium and fiber; high in natural sugar

Is sugar apple 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 grind them, and strain them out before blending.
• Take care: Annonacin is a nerve toxin also present in the fruit and leaves. 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 and skip leaf teas.
• Good to know: Powdered seeds and leaves are used as an insecticide and can badly irritate or injure the eyes.

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 sugar apple

• Fresh, pulled apart and eaten with a spoon
• Smoothies and milkshakes, seeds strained out
• Ice cream and frozen pulp
• Basundi and other milk sweets (India)

Sugar apple varieties (5)

• Balanagar

  A popular Indian sugar apple with large fruit and sweet, abundant pulp.

  Origin: India · Taste: Very sweet · Size: Large

• Cuban Seedless · also Seedless Cuban

  A nearly seedless sugar apple; the fruit is often smaller and less flavorful than seeded types.

  Origin: Cuba · Taste: Sweet, milder

• Kampong Mauve

  A purple-red sugar apple named for The Kampong garden in Coconut Grove, with sweet white pulp.

  Origin: Florida · Taste: Very sweet

  Ornamental, with purple-tinged skin.

• Lessard Thai · also Thai Lessard

  A Thai sugar apple selection introduced to Florida growers, known for good flavor and production.

  Origin: Thailand · Taste: Very sweet

• Red · also Purple, Red sugar apple

  A general name for sugar apples with reddish-purple skin. Flesh and flavor are similar to green types.

  Taste: Sweet

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.