Annona squamosa, commonly known as sugar apple or the sweetsop, is a tropical fruit tree native to South and Central America but grown in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. In India, it's known as sitaphal.
Annona squamosa is a small, deciduous tree that grows up to 8 metres high. It thrives in warm and humid climates with well-drained, slightly acidic soils. The tree prefers full sun to partial shade and can grow in a variety of soils, including sandy, loamy and clayey soils.
The tree is relatively low maintenance and only needs moderate watering. It's also suitable for growing in containers.
Seedlings mature in 3–4 years time. Bud plants mature within 1-2 years. It is a good practice to prune the branches after harvest. This will create new branches which will bear fruits in the next year. Pruning can control its shape and size too.
Once established, it grows without much care. It is also draught tolerant.
The fruit of the Annona squamosa is oval and usually has a diameter of 8-10 cm. It has a green, scaly skin covered with bumps and a creamy white flesh divided into segments containing black, shiny seeds. The fruit has a sweet, creamy and slightly sour taste and custardlike consistency.
Tastewise, it is very close to Annona reticulata, also called custard apple or Ramphal.
The fruit is often eaten fresh or used in desserts, smoothies and ice cream. It's also used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of ailments such as coughs, fevers and digestive problems. The fruit is rich in nutrients such as vitamin C, fibre, potassium and magnesium.
Annona squamosa is an important tree in traditional medicine and is used to treat a variety of ailments. The leaves and bark of the tree contain bioactive compounds that have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-diabetic effects. In addition, the fruits contain compounds that have been shown to have insecticidal properties and can be useful in pest control
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Scientific name: Annona squamosa
Propagation method: Bud
Plant size: Large
Supplier: Saphal Agro
The sugar apple tree doesn't grow very tall, but has many branches. Sitaphal or sugar apple has a thick green outer skin and a very sweet white flesh inside.
See more about sugar apple description and plant growing tips.
