Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota)
aka Siamese Persimmon, Sa pô chê or sapota, 'chiku' or 'chicozapote'
Sapodilla is a long-lived evergreen tree native to southern Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. It has been introduced to the Phillipines, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and Bangladesh.
Sapodilla often form fruit clusters near the end of a stem.
5yr old sapodilla at approximately 7.5-8' tall
GROWTH
In its native environment, Sapodilla may grow to 98' tall w/ an average trunk diameter of 5'. But in cultivation in Florida, it grows to approx 30-49' w/ a max trunk diameter of 20".
There are also dwarf varieties that reach 6-10' tall maximum as well. Though there may be reasons to also grow the larger trees, since time of ripening could extend your harvest season, or the flavors may be distinctly different.
It is a strong, wind resistant evergreen tree grown in tropical climates. The bark is rich with a white gummy latex called 'chicle'. Generally, sapodilla must be kept from freezing to survive.
Young trees will be damaged at temperatures below freezing, but a more mature specimen can be cold tolerant to 26 degrees. Seems to also be tolerant of salt spray.
Leaves are oval or eliptical shaped, medium green and 3.5-7" long.
It has small, white, bell-shaped flowers that develop into a small light brown ellipsoid-shaped fruit, approx 2-4" in diameter, sometimes larger. Trees yield fruit twice a year, though it may continue flowering year around.
FRUIT
Sapodilla fruit has an exceptionally sweet, malty flavor. It contains 2-5 black seeds resembling beans w/ a hook at one end that can catch in the throat if swallowed.
Unripe fruit has a firm outer skin, is hard to the touch, and releases white chicle from the stem when picked.
It also contains high amounts of saponin, which has astringent properties similar to tannin, drying out the mouth. Fully ripe fruit has saggy skin and does not release chicle when picked.
Sapodilla flowers are tiny
7g Silas Woods (dwarf) $125 when available
VARIETIES (in Florida)
Many varieties available through our South FL growers:
Sapodillas are seasonally available as our growers are able to produce the larger sizes. Please pre-order after you check with us to estimate when your selection will next be available.
Understand this: growers never grow enough of the larger sizes to meet demand, and that is intentionally. There's nothing more disheartening for a grower than to have to trash a large specimen because he has no buyer -- after years of pampering it.
Prices subject to growers:
7g/$125 15g/$195 30g/$350
OTHER NAMES:
It is known by many other names around the globe:
Siamese Persimmon, Sa pô chê or xa pô chê (Vietnam)
lamoot (Thailand, Laos)
mispel (Virgin Islands and Dutch Caribbean)
zapote (Honduras)
níspero (Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guyana, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela)
dilly (Bahamas)
naseberry (Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean)
sapoti (Brazil and Haiti)
chico (Philippines)
chicosapote or chicozapote (Mexico, Hawaii, southern California and southern Florida.)
In India it is known as chikoo, chiku, and sapota; sobeda/sofeda in eastern India and Bangladesh, sapathilla (Sri Lanka), sabudheli in Maldives, sawo, saos, ciku, and sawo nilo in other parts of Asia.
In Chinese, the name is mistakenly translated by many people roughly as "ginseng fruit", though this is also the name used for the pepino, an unrelated fruit. It should instead be "heart fruit" because it is shaped like the heart.