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Showing posts with label Annona mucosa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Annona mucosa. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Wild sweetsop, Annona mucosa

🌿 Quick Facts About Wild Sweetsop (Annona mucosa)

🌍 Native Range:

  • Tropical South America — especially Brazil, Peru, and Colombia.

    🌱 Common Names:

  • Wild sweetsop
  • Biribá
  • Lemon meringue fruit (because of its tangy-sweet flavor!)
  • Rollinia (often used in cultivation contexts)

    🌳 Tree Info:

  • Grows 4–15 meters tall
  • Fast-growing and tropical-loving
  • Deciduous in dry seasons
  • Can handle short-term flooding but not frost

    🌸 Flowers:

  • Yellow-green, waxy, and slightly fragrant
  • Have two sets of petals: outer thick and fleshy, inner smaller
  • Pollinated mostly by beetles (not bees!)

    🍈 Fruit:

  • Bright yellow when ripe, with soft spikes
  • Soft, creamy pulp — sweet, custard-like texture
  • Tastes like lemon meringue pie, some say with hints of banana or pineapple
  • Bruises easily and has a short shelf life (not great for supermarkets!)

    🧃 Uses:

  • Eaten fresh with a spoon
  • Blended into juices, smoothies, ice creams, pies, and even wine
  • Sometimes used medicinally in traditional cultures

    🌱 Growing Tips:

  • Loves humidity, warmth, and full sun
  • Prefers rich, well-draining soil
  • Needs consistent watering (but don’t waterlog it)
  • Grows from seed and can fruit in just 2–3 years

    ⚠️ Watch Out For:

  • Cold temperatures — it’s super frost-sensitive
  • Low humidity — poor fruit set if humidity drops below 80%
  • Easily damaged fruit — handle with care!