Sweetsop, Sugar Apple, Anón

Frost Tolerance: Tender in Phoenix, foliage damaged at 30° F (-1° C), serious damage at 26° F (-3° C)

Sun Exposure: Full sun to light shade

Origin: Central America

Growth Habits: Small deciduous tree, up to 20 feet tall (6 m)

Watering Needs: Regular water

Propagation: Seeds, budding, grafting

The Sweetsop is a small deciduous tree that rarely reaches a height of more than 20 feet. The 8- to 10-inch leaves are usually lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate. This species probably is indigen ous to the warmest part of Central America and grows best in the warm dry areas of the Tropics.

Fruiting Habits:
The fruit, which ripens in the spring, is subglobose or ovoid. I is composed of loosely cohering carpels which are usually covered with a white or bluish bloom. The carpels separate readily when ripe, exposing the cream colored flesh in which are imbedded numerous small brown glossy seeds. The fruit pulp has a custard consistency and is sweet and pleasant tasting. The pulp usually is eaten fresh as a dessert fruit, but it is also used to make a delicious sherbet. The sweetsop is of better quality than the custard apple and deserves to be more widely planted in the Tropics. If allowed to ripen fully on the tree the fruits split open. Such losses can be prevented by picking the fruits before they reach this stage and allowing them to ripen off the tree.

Propagation:
As with the other annonas, the sweetsop often is grown from seeds. Such seedlings usually come into bearing when 3 to 4 years of age. Improved selections can be propagated readily by grafting or budding.