Sugar Apple 'Thai Lessard' (Annona squamosa L)
Common Names: Thai Lessard Sugar Apple, Custard Apple, Sweetsop, Noi-na (Thailand)
Family: Annonaceae
Origin: Southeast Asia
The Thai Lessard Sugar Apple (Annona squamosa) is a beloved tropical fruit tree prized for its delicious, custard-like fruit. Known for its green, segmented skin and creamy, aromatic flesh, this sugar apple variety is popular in Southeast Asia, especially Thailand. The sweet, juicy fruit has a delightful texture and is enjoyed fresh, making it a perfect treat for warm climates. The Thai Lessard Sugar Apple tree is a compact, low-maintenance tree, ideal for home gardens, patios, or even large containers, where it produces heavy crops of fruit in the summer.
Distinctive Features, Uses, and Nutritional Value
Fruits: Thai Lessard Sugar Apples are medium-sized, with green, segmented skin that breaks apart easily to reveal soft, white, custard-like flesh. The fruit is fragrant, with a sweet, creamy but slightly gritty texture and flavor that makes it a favorite in tropical fruit markets.
Foliage: The tree has oblong, deep green leaves that provide a lush, tropical look, adding beauty to any garden.
Growth Habit: Thai Lessard is a small, bushy tree, typically reaching 10-15 feet tall, making it well-suited for compact spaces and home gardens.
Nutritional Value: Sugar apples are rich in vitamins C and B6, antioxidants, and dietary fiber, supporting immune health, digestion, and skin health.
Plant Type:
Tropical/Subtropical Evergreen or Semi-Deciduous Fruit Tree/Shrub
Harvest Season:
Late-Summer, Fall
Mature Size:
Up to 35 feet
Soil & Moisture:
Rich, well-drained soil with light acidity suit these warm-weather plants best. Provide regular moisture and humidity, but be careful not to over water. Annona's are intolerable to water-logging. Requires deep watering during growing/fruiting seasons and less during winter dormancy.
Light Requirements:
Full Sun, Part Shade
Overall, expect best fruit production with more sun
Self-Fertile:
Yes
Growth Rate:
Fast, Medium
Zone Hardiness:
Outdoors 9-11 (frost protection until established); Patio/Greenhouse 4+
Annona's (especially Soursop) may defoliate during the winter in subtropical regions (40 degrees or lower), but remain evergreen in their native deep tropical habitats. Sugar Apples are generally tolerant to 28 degrees, whereas some Annona's like Soursop will need more cold protection if growing outdoors in Zone 9.
Propagation:
Our Annonas are grown from seed and air-layering and are capable of fruiting within 2-5 years.
See More:
Annona (from Taíno annon) is a genus of flowering plants in the pawpaw/sugar apple family, Annonaceae. The generic name derives from anón, a Hispaniolan Taíno word for the fruit.
Our Annona varieties include Sugar Apples, Red Custard Apple, Soursop, Pond Apple, and Cherimoya fruit trees.
