Sapodilla, Sapote

Where does Sapodilla grow?

Found in: Africa, Amazon, Andamans, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Caribbean, Cayman Islands, Central Africa, Central America, Chile, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, FSM, French Guiana, Ghana, Grenada, Guam, Guiana, Guatemala, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Marquesas, Marshall Is., Mexico, Micronesia, Montserrat, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pohnpei, Puerto Rico, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Sri Lanka, St Lucia, St Vincent and Grenadines, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad-Tobago, Uruguay, United States, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, West Africa, West Indies

Notes: There are about 75 Manilkara species.

Status: It is a cultivated food plant. Fruit are sold in markets. It is a popular fruit in SE Asia. It has been introduced to Papua New Guinea and is not yet common.

Growing Sapodilla, Sapote

Cultivation: Trees can be grown from fresh seeds but they are not true to type. This has resulted in many varieties which vary in fruit shape and size. It is best to use grafted plants. Seed remain viable for several years. Better varieties should be grown by grafting or air-layering. Trees can be grown from cuttings of mature branches. Seedling trees tend to be taller. Growing from cuttings is not easy. A spacing of 8-9 metres is suitable. Thinning of fruit is rarely undertaken as sap discolours other fruit. Topping of the tree can be done if the tree becomes too tall. Trees need little pruning.

Edible Uses: The fully ripe fruit are eaten. The fruit are eaten fresh. They can be used for drinks, jams or jellies. They can be dried, preserved, or used in custards, sherberts, ice cream, pies and muffins. The unripe fruit can be pickled. The juice can be boiled into syrup or made into syrup or wine. The bark contains a gummy substance (chicle) used for chewing gum. The very young leaves are eaten. The very young shoots and leaves may be eaten, but older leaves contain an alkaloid poison. CAUTION The seeds are hooked and can catch in the throat so should be removed.

Production: Trees are slow growing. Seedling trees take about 8-10 years to commence bearing. Grafted trees bear when about 4-5 years old. Fruit takes about 4-6 months after flowering to mature. There can be several bunches of fruit throughout the year. The fruit should be harvested when fully ripe to avoid the sticky latex. Often there are two crops each year. A well established 10 year old tree can produce 200-250 kg of fruit per year. Fruit need to be fully ripe. It is not easy to determine ripeness except for a slight colour change. Allowing fruit to fall ensures full maturity. The fully ripe fruit are eaten. Fruit weigh about 110 g. Fruit can be stored at 2°C for 6 weeks.

Nutrition Info

Sapodilla, Sapote Photos

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