Annona muricata L.

Trees to 10 m tall, evergreen. Bark rugose. Petiole short; leaf blade obovate-oblong to ovate-elliptic, 5-18 × 2-7 cm, papery, abaxially greenish and glabrous, adaxially green and shiny, secondary veins 6-13 on each side of midvein and slightly prominent on both surfaces, base broadly cuneate to rounded, apex acute to obtuse. Inflorescences axillary, 1-or 2-flowered. Flowers ca. 3.8 cm in diam. Pedicel 0.5-2.5 cm, pubescent. Sepals ovate-elliptic to ovate-triangular, 3-5 mm. Petals green, later yellowish, inside basally without a red spot; outer petals thick, broadly triangular, 2.5-5 × 2-4 cm, inside finely pubescent, apex acute to obtuse; inner petals ovate-elliptic, 2-4 × 1.5-3.5 cm, slightly thin, imbricate, pubescent, base clawed, apex obtuse. Stamens 4-5 mm; filaments fleshy; connectives apically dilated. Carpels ca. 5 mm, pubescent. Syncarp green, ovoid and often oblique or curved, 10-35 × 7-15 cm, covered with soft prickles, base impressed, apex rounded; pulp white. Seeds brownish yellow, reniform, ca. 2 × 1 cm. Fl. Apr-Jul, fr. Jul-Dec. 2n = 14, 16.

A tropical plant. It grows in tropical lowland areas below 1200 m altitude. In Colombia it grows between 100-2,000 m above sea level. It can tolerate quite poor soils and a humid climate. It cannot tolerate frost. The trees can withstand temperatures down to freezing (0°C) for a short time but salt laden winds from the sea can kill the trees. They need a well drained soil and cannot tolerate water-logging. The trees continue to grow and produce satisfactorily in fairly poor compact soil. But improving the fertility increases the amount of fruit. They can grow well in hot humid areas but a fungus disease called Blossom blight can cause flowers to fall off. In XTBG Yunnan. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.

Fruit can be eaten fresh or used in ice-cream and for drinks. Young fruit can be cooked as a vegetable. Leaves are edible cooked. They are used for tea. CAUTION The seeds are toxic, so should be removed before processing.

Trees are grown either as seedling trees or grafted plants. They can be grown from cuttings or air layering. Trees are easy to grow and maintain. Plants can easily be grown from seeds. Seeds can be planted fresh or stored. Seeds grow in about 15 to 20 days. Trees grown from seeds vary in the quality of the fruit. Seedlings are transferred to polythene bags when 15 cm tall. Trees can also be grown from cuttings or by grafting. This allows better trees to be selected and produced. Seedlings are suitable for grafting after 6 months. Trees need to be about
 apart. Flowers are pollinated by insects. Hand pollination of flowers can increase the number of fruit that are produced. Fruit are soft and fleshy and difficult to transport.