Sapote, Mamey sapote

Where does Sapote grow?

Found in: Asia, Australia, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Cambodia, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Timor, El Salvador, Fiji, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Hispaniola, Honduras, Indochina, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Malaysia, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, North America, Pacific, Panama, Philippines, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, Sierra Leone, South America, Spain, St Lucia, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies

Notes: There are about 150-320 Pouteria species. They grow in the tropics.

Growing Sapote, Mamey sapote

Cultivation: Trees can be grown from fresh seed. Seeds take 40-70 days to germinate. This can be made quicker by breaking the seed coat. The best varieties are grafted. Shoots for grafting are best selected during the summer dormant period when the tree has no leaves. Plants can be grown by layering.

Edible Uses: The fruit is eaten fresh and raw or in icecream and desserts. Fruit are also dried or preserved. It is added to guava cheese and made into jam. Unripe fruit are used as a vegetable. The seeds are ground and made into a confection or a drink.

Production: Trees are slow growing. Grafted trees may bear in 1-4 years. Seedling trees take 8-10 years to fruit. Trees can continue to produce fruit for 100 years. Fruit take about 1 year to mature. A fruit can weigh 2.5 kg.

Nutrition Info

Sapote, Mamey sapote Photos

References

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