Sugar Apple 'Thai Lessard' (Annona squamosa L)
Ultra-Sweet, Tropical Dessert Fruit with Soft, Creamy Segments
Sugar Apple 'Thai Lessard' (Annona squamosa L.) is a high-yielding, ultra-sweet tropical fruit tree prized for its bumpy green fruit filled with custard-like, vanilla-flavored pulp. Native to the Americas and widely cultivated in Southeast Asia, the Thai Lessard variety is known for its exceptional sweetness, uniform fruit shape, and soft, juicy texture that makes it one of the best sugar apples for eating fresh or blending into smoothies and desserts.
The fruit has a distinct segmented exterior that easily separates by hand when ripe. Each segment reveals silky white flesh with a taste often compared to banana cream pie with hints of pineapple and mango. Trees begin fruiting quickly in warm climates, typically within 2–3 years, and can be maintained at a manageable size with pruning.
Sugar Apple trees love full sun, warm temperatures, and well-draining soil, making them perfect for subtropical to tropical growers. The Thai Lessard variety is especially suited for container growing, food forests, or small edible orchards, offering tropical flair and irresistible fruit in a compact package.
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.
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