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Other Names: Custard Apple
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Related To:
[Annonaceae] Atemoya, Soursop, Rollinia
Main Uses:
Fruit, ornamental.
Growth Rate:
Fast.
Mature Height/Spread:
Small tree, eventually reaching 20-25 feet, though kept smaller to easily harvest the fruits.
Flowering/Pollination:
Male and female flowers occur on the same tree, but in most regions they do not mature at the same time. Hand pollination is often used. Planting more than one tree is very useful as well.
Tolerance:
Not tolerant of salt, but established trees are somewhat tolerant of drought.
Soil/Nutrition:
Grows in a range of soil types, provided they are fertile. Prefers well-drained soils.
Light:
Part shade to full sun.
Wind:
Does not like wind, grows best in a protected location.
Temperature:
Cherimoya is about as hardy as the average citrus, taking temporary frosts to around 27 degrees. Seedlings and small trees are more sensitive to frost.
Dangers:
Seeds are toxic to humans and should not be eaten.
Diseases Prone:
Mealybugs (container grown), scale.
Bearing Age:
Can bear fruit from seed in 3-4 years. Grafted varieties usually bear a year or two sooner.
Fruit:
Many fruits are roughly heart shaped, though they can also form round or unevenly globose. The skin can be either knobby or softly scaled with vague geometric networking. Fruit is ripe when soft, at which point the stem will easily pull out. The fragrance is very fruity and slightly fermented. Texture of ripe fruit is delicately uniform and somewhat creamy, usually white but sometimes with pinkish specks. There can be few or many seeds depending on cultivar and heritage.
History/Origin:
Cherimoya is thought to be indigenous to the mountains of south and central America, where it grows wild up to altitudes of 6,000 feet.
The odd name cherimoya comes from the Incan word "chirimuya," which means "cold seeds." The seeds are toxic and should never be eaten.
Species Observations:
Cherimoya seems happiest growing at elevation, though some say it will not fruit in the lowlands. However, it does seem to fruit just fine at sea level in Hawaii, so perhaps there is some myth and some fact. Clearly this species seems to be best suited to an elevated area. After all, it is native to mountains. Most of the US crop is grown in the foothills of California.
Knobby-skinned cultivars are said to produce larger fruit in California.
Propogation:
Grows quite easily from fresh seed. Plants can also be grafted. Very rarely cherimoyas are rooted or layered from semi-ripe wood. Success rate for this method is less then 10%.
Container Culture:
Cherimoya are easily container grown and do have handsome, large leaves. Their shallow root system allows them to be kept in a container for some time. However, since the trees are partially deciduous, most of their leaves will drop at some point during the year, making a bit of a mess. Many members of the annona genus can be grown in a container with relative ease.
Medicinal Uses:
Unknown.
Nutritional Information:
As fruits go, cherimoya is relatively high in calories, having 80-90 calories per 100 grams of fruit. It is a good source of vitamin C and niacin.
Preparation / Food:
Cherimoya is usually eaten fresh, where the somewhat intense tropical flavor can be relished for its fruity complexity and deliciousness. This fruit is a favorite of many fruit enthusiasts for its almost unearthly flavorings.
The difference between fresh ripe fruit eaten at room temperature and eaten chilled is rather immense. Many people prefer to enjoy the fruit after it has been chilled.
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"Tree is in fine shape and budding! Packing was exceptional. Thank you so much!"
- Satisfied Customer 1
"WOW, Plant is 10X better than expected. Great condition. Thank you very much."
- Satisfied Customer 2
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