Annona squamosa

sugar apple

Sugar apples are one of the strangest looking tropical fruits and many guests are hesitant to try one until I show them how it's done. These fruits look like warty green apples or pinecones hanging from the trees. But don’t let looks fool you into passing this fruit by. When ripe, the bumpy exterior easily gives way to reveal the creamy, white flesh within. The large black seeds are worth the trouble of dealing with as the flesh is flavored like nothing else. Some describe it as pear meets pineapple or similar to lychee but its exceptional flavor really must be tried firsthand.

Sugar apples are also known as “sweetsop” and “anón”, from the Latin name of the genus, Annona. This species originated somewhere in the tropical Americas but its exact origin is unknown. It is the most widely cultivated species in the genus Annona and is grown throughout the tropical & subtropical world, including Egypt and Gaza. It was introduced to southern India before 1600 by the Portuguese and today India leads production due to its popularity there.

In just two to three years a sapling will begin to bear fruit and by five years may bear up to 50 fruits! Beetles pollinate the fleshy, musky-smelling flowers. In some areas, sugar apple has naturalized and become invasive. The fruits are round with a knobby, segmented exterior and are eaten when ripe. The fruits are very high in vitamin C and multiple B vitamins plus are an excellent source of manganese.

The seeds, bark, and leaves are extremely poisonous, containing the alkaloid annonin. Extracts of this alkaloid are used as industrial biopesticides. Powdered seeds may be used as a fish poison and a paste from the powdered seeds can be applied to the head to kill lice but don’t let it get into your eyes or you could be blinded. The leaves, unripe fruits, bark, and roots are all used as various treatments for diarrhea or dysentery.

There are many other stars in this genus including:

soursop (Annona muricata)

cherimoya (A. cherimola)

custard apple (A. reticulata)

atemoya (A. cherimola x A. squamosa)

pond apple (A. glabra), a native of the Florida Everglades