Atemoya 'Geffner' (Annona × atemoya)
Regular price $149.95Meet the beloved Atemoya, a rare cross between Cherimoya and Sugar Apple. Its name, "Atemoya'', stems from Sugar Apple’s Mexican name, "ate", and the later portion of Cherimoya’s "moya".
A member of the Annonaceae family, Atemoya bears distinctive aesthetics with rinds of fused, angular areoles of pea green to pale blue hues. Weighing up to 5 lbs a piece, the tropical deciduous hybrid of Sugar Apple and Cherimoya grows sweet, sub-acidic tasty fruits. The fruit’s flesh takes on a snowy-white interior and bears a custard-textured bite. The tree’s perfect hide-and-seek drooping-branches carry leathery leaves and triangular, yellow-blossoms bearing potent fragrance.
Crossed initially in 1908 at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's subtropical laboratory in Miami, P.J. Wester planted the first Atemoya seedlings in 1910. Their first fruits were said to be superior to the Sugar Apple and similar in flavor to Cherimoya. The fruits, when harvested, must be clipped from the branch with care once areoles widen and bear creamy lines at their edges. Eat Atemoya out of hand or try juicing it!
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.
