Chocolate Pudding From A TREE ?
You've Got To Be Kidding!
It's kind of a novelty, but yep, it really does have the texture and flavor of chocolate pudding!
It's called Black Sapote: not a sapote, but quite tropical and easy to grow.
I know that sounds odd, but I've actually tasted this one myself -- it's not real sugary sweet, just mildly sweet, but the texture is quite smooth & fine, and does taste like chocolate pudding -- much to my surprise.
There's considerable argument on the web about the flavor of this fruit. It seems there is quite a bit of variance, much of it based on how it is grown and when it is picked.
What I tasted was grown in the most optimal organic conditions -- with lots of trace minerals available from greensand in the soil amendments. Fruit needs to be exceptionally ripe before it has the right flavor. It tasted like about 70% dark chocolate with just enough sweetness to be palatable. I suppose it would be quite interesting served with vanilla ice cream!
the darker the skin, the riper and sweeter the fruit
Fairchild's black sapote tree
The Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (in Miami, FL) has undeniably THE most beautiful black sapote tree in Florida! Read more here.
Black Sapote
Diospyros nigro aka D. digyna
Black Sapote is a tropical evergreen, fruiting tree that grows 25-30' tall in Florida if untrimmed. It can be pruned smaller as needed. Large, 4-12" long, dark green leaves produce year around shade. Young trees can be killed at freezing temperatures, while mature specimens may tolerate light freezes to 28°.
Black sapote appear to tolerate windy conditions, unlike avocados. And they are somewhat flood tolerant, but not very tolerant of drought. IFAS recommends planting black sapote trees 10' above the water table, even if it means planting on a 3-4' mound. Likes full sun best.
Black sapote is not a part of the sapote family of trees, and is therefor not kin to white sapote or mamey sapote. In Central America where Black Sapote is native, sapote is a word that simply means 'sweet, soft fruit'.
Black sapote has no known major pest or disease issues in Florida.
Black Sapote are usually what we call 'dioecious' fruit: meaning male trees have flowers and no fruit, and female trees have bisexual aka hermaphroditic flowers and fruits. Some trees have both male and female (bisexual) flowers. Male flowers occur in clusters, whereas female flowers are usually solitary.
So if you want a reliably fruiting tree that produces fruit fast, buy a grafted specimen, grafted from a producing female tree. Even so, some trees (not all) are self-incompatible and need another for cross pollination.
Most black sapote ripen in December to February in Florida, though a few varieties may produce in summer, June to August.
Fruits are 2 to 6" in diameter, and are shaped like a flat tomato. Fruits can be picked when dark green and almost ripe, but if you wait until they are wrinkled and more dark brown the fruit flesh will have a more custard like texture, will be sweeter and more "chocolate-like". In other words, tree-ripened tastes better!
3g & 7g Black Sapote trees
2 sizes in picture of Black Sapote:
3' tall / 3g / $55
5-6' tall / 7g / $85
call / email us to order or verify availability
in stock 03-2026:
6-7' tall (trimmed) / 15g / $150