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Annona squamosa (sugar apple, sweetsop)

Climate

The sugar apple thrives in warm climates with moderate to high humidity. It prefers altitudes ranging from sea level to 1,200 meters.

Common Name

Sugar apple

Description

The sugar apple, also known as sweetsop, is a slow-growing deciduous tree that produces yellow-green fruit with sweet and custard-like flesh. It is drought-tolerant and can start fruiting within 1 to 3 years. The fruit is highly productive and has a nutritional composition that includes carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals such as calcium and potassium.

Genus
Grouping
Fruits
Latin Name

Annona squamosa

Origin

India

Other Relevant Information

Plant Characteristics: - The sugar apple is a slow-growing, bushy, deciduous tree that can reach a height of about 5 meters. - It is known for its drought tolerance. - The fruit of the sugar apple is yellow-green in color and has a pale yellow, firm flesh. - The flesh is sweet and custard-like in texture. - Fruiting can occur as early as 1 year old with grafted trees and from 3 years with seedling trees. - The sugar apple tree is highly productive. Nutritional Composition: - Per 100 grams of edible portion: - Water content: 73.3% - Energy: 94 calories - Carbohydrates: 23.7 grams - Fat: 0.3 grams - Protein: 1.8 grams - Ash: 0.9 grams - Calcium: 22 milligrams - Potassium: 275 milligrams - Sodium: 11 milligrams - Iron: 0.6 milligrams - Phosphorous: 41 milligrams - Vitamin A: 10 International Units - Thiamin: 0.10 milligrams - Riboflavin: 0.14 milligrams - Niacin: 1.0 milligrams - Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C): 34 milligrams

Soil Preferences

The sugar apple prefers well-drained soil and can tolerate a range of soil types, including sandy, loamy, and clay soils.

Specific species
Uses
Suitability to cool temperate climate

Often believed to be the true custard apple, the sugar apple is a slow growing, bushy, deciduous tree of about 5 m. It is drought tolerant.

The fruit is yellow - green in colour with a pale yellow, firm flesh which is sweet and custard like. Fruiting occurs from 3 years with seedling trees and as early as 1 year old with grafted trees. A very productive species.

Nutritional composition of the sugar apple per 100 grams of edible portion is: Water - 73.3%, Energy - 94 calories, Carbohydrate - 23.7 g, Fat - 0.3 g, Protein -1.8 g, Ash - 0.9 g, Calcium -22 mg, Potassium - 275 mg, Sodium - 11 mg, Iron - 0.6 mg, Phosphorous - 41 mg, Vitamin A -10 I.U., Thiamin - 0.10 mg, Riboflavin - 0.14 mg, Niacin - 1.0 mg, Ascorbic acid - 34 mgs.