Richard

Order Ebenales, Sapotaceae Family.

This large shrub or tree is endemic to Puerto Rico and the associated islands of Vieques, St. John, and Tortola. In Puerto Rico, it grows in the tropical karst (limestone, clay) topographies of the northwest from sea level to elevations of 400 feet. It is also occasionally seen growing in sand dunes. It is evergreen, often about 15 high but occasionally to 50 feet. The trunk diameter varies accordingly from 4 to 14 inches. It has stiff, leathery leaves clustered at joints and most commonly at twig ends. Wood of older trees is quite hard – as is the wood of its close relative M. bidentata, the bullet-wood tree. The fruit is about the size and shape of a tomato when ripe: at most 3 inches across and 2 inches high. The rind is thick and slightly rough, with white sticky latex and a pinkish pulp inside. European botanists who tried the fruit in the last two centuries described it as terrible – although these same individuals gave the same description to the fruits of Green Sapote and White Sapote. However, in this case they may be correct. The name “Zapote de costa” was never used to describe this fruit by native peoples: it was instead assigned by Spanish collectors in the late 1700’s. The tree is classified as vulnerable on U.S. and international endangered species lists, currently not cultivated, and not present in any known plant germplasm repository. This total lack of interest in cultivation is a good indication that the fruit is unpopular.

The photo below was taken by a Puerto Rican resident, and the sketch was made by the famous botanist Arthur Cronquist.

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mskitty38583

i think its a pretty fruit, reminds me of a kiwi.

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Ramon-Tj

Hi , I'm looking for black sapote to graft to my white sapote, is any one growing Black sapote and willing to part with some bud wood??

Ramon

Richard

Black Sapote are in the Ebony family, and White Sapote are in the same family as citrus -- the two are not graft compatible. In fact, plants of the Ebony family (including persimmons) have a notoriously low success rate with grafting.

For more information on fruits named sapote, see the chart on this document: http://www.plantsthatproduce.com/col..._06_Sapote.pdf

and the photos I've been posting here: Banana Gallery - Sapote-named Fruits

Note that Black Sapote fruit (D. digyna) is non-toxic only when ripe. A tree of the same name in spanish "Zapote Negro" (D. revoluta) is a deadly poison 100% of the time.

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chong

Here is a relative(Ebenales, Sapotaceae) of that tree, Manilkara Zapota(Sapota), called "Chico" in the Philippines and Mexico, Nispero in Puerto Rico. Native to Mexico to Central America. The sap or latex of this tree, called chicle, is the source of Chiclettes chewing gum. I had four grafted plants of this, but last year's cold winter killed them.
Flower:
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Fruit:


Fruit in Cluster, showing Leaves:


The fruit tastes like brown sugar! Fruit structure is somewhat different than the Auosubo Machuelo and closer to the Mamey Sapote in shape, but not in size. The Machuelo looks more like the Canistel (Chesa in the Philippines).

They are commonly called "Sapodilla", elsewhere, and may be found in some Asian stores.

dablo93

nice plant! I wish that I can grow them outside here.

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bencelest

Chong:
What is the cold tolerance of chico?
You got me very interested. Is it the same as the papayas?
I know I can grow guavas here in Salinas.

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Ramon-Tj

Thank you very much for you're reply Richard I'll take a look at the link.

Ramon

Richard

Chong, you never cease to amaze me with what you are growing outdoors in Seattle, albeit the western bayside area. I have actually been in your neighborhood! Until a few years ago, a friend of mine from college lived only a half-mile south of you. I'd never imagined a Chico Sapote growing there, but come to think of it, the rainfall is about right!

I'm sorry to hear about the loss from the freeze. Since the Chico seemed to like it there, you might consider replacing it with Green Sapote -- an even better tasting and slightly more cold hardy Sapotaceae.

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chong

The rainfall is a detriment, unfortunately! Especially in the wintertime. I thought that I had it down pat as to how keep them outside when the temperatures were low by regulating the watering. Then that pesky frigid weather we had last year, even this year, kinda caught me off guard and I lost quite a few plants. Even the Syzygium Mallaccense that survived last year's freeze and put out lots of leaves in the summer, just all turned brown last January.

I didn't realize that they were hardier. And I also thought that they were closer to Canistel in texture because their fruit shape and leaves look the same. But your photos show that they are like the Chico and Mammey inside. Canistel inside has like firm cooked sweet potato. Although I'm looking for some replacements for my Chicos, I will definitely get some Green Sapote as well.

chong

Benny, here is a quote from the Purdue University Agri. website:
"It is not strictly tropical, for mature trees can withstand temperatures of 26º to 28º F (-3.33º to -2.2º C) for several hours. Young trees are tenderer and apt to be killed by 30º F (-1.11º C) unless the stem is banked with sand or wrapped with straw and burlap during the cold spell. A number of sapodilia trees have lived for a few years in California without fruiting and then have succumbed to cold. Cool nights are considered a constant limiting factor. However, I have learned of one tree in a protected location in the Sacramento Valley that has survived for many years, reaching a large size and fruiting regularly. The sapodilla seems equally at home in humid and relatively dry atmospheres."

My four plants survived temperatures in the low 20's outside, but they had clear plastic over them, next to the house, and two 100-watt incandescent lights inside the enclosure. Apparently, that wasn't enough for last year's cold weather here, though. At one point our temperature dropped close to zero, and that probably did it. That's about the same as guavas, I think.

chong

I just want to let everyone know that the 3 photos of the Chico are from TAMU Horticultural website. I do not wish to give you the impression that the photos are from my yard. The fruits that I got from my plants were only 3/4 the size of those on the photos. I only got 3 fruits from 2 plants. The others bloomed but did not produce fruit. I wish I could find the photos of the spider that set camp between the plants. I thought that they kept the pests from going to the fruits.