From Neglected crops: 1492 from a different perspective
by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations



Custard Apple Varieties
Annona reticulata

The most attractive aspects of this species are: its pleasant-tasting fruit, which is generally sweet and creamy; the relatively small volume taken up by the skin and seed; and the plant's modest soil requirements. The flesh varies from juicy and very aromatic to hard with a repulsive taste. A. reticulata grows between 0 and 1500 m in the areas of Central America that have alternating seasons, and has spread to South America. In Florida superior cultivars have been selected especially from Belize and Guatemala. Some cultivars include:

'Tikal' is of excellent quality and medium yield; its flesh is bright-red, except in the white areas surrounding the seeds.
Har Mahdeem, popular horticultural circuit speaker and authority on Annonaceae, described this variety as improductive.

'Canul' has a medium fruit with a waxy, shiny dark-red surface and purplish red flesh; it is very aromatic and deliciously sweet with few concretions of hard cells.

'Sartenaya' has a medium fruit with a waxy, shiny red surface and pink flesh with a magnificent taste and texture. Although the fruit is not as attractive in appearance as that of the previous two cultivars. the tree is sturdier. Mr. Mahdeem recommends this variety for being above average quality and not gritty.

Annona reticulata 'Fernandez'Annona reticulata 'Fernandez"
'Fernandez''Fernandez'

'San Pablo' has a long, large fruit with an opaque, light-red surface. The flesh is dark-pink with a good aroma and taste. It is a vigorous, productive cultivar. Mr. Mahdeem also recommends this variety as being above average quality and not gritty.

'Benque' has a big conical fruit with a dark-red surface and very tasty dark-pink flesh. Mr. Mahdeem said this variety is no longer available.

'Caledonia' has a small fruit with a dark surface. The flesh is pink and has an excellent taste.

'Chonox' has a medium fruit with a red skin and juicy, very tasty pink flesh; it is very productive and, for this reason, often has low-quality fruit. It produces abundant flowers in groups of up to 16.

Annona reticulata 'San Pablo'Annona reticulata 'San Pablo''San Pablo' on the right and 'fernandez' on the left
'San Pablo''San Pablo''San Pablo' on the right and
'Fernandez' on the left

Bibliography

Mahdeem, H. "Custard Apples." Neglected crops: 1492 from a different perspective, 85-92, FAO Plant Production and Protection Series, no.26, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 1994, FAO, fao.org. Accessed 8 Feb. 2016.

Photographs

Maguire, Ian. "Annona reticulata." Tropical Fruit Photography Picture Archive, 2003, trec.ifas.ufl.edu. Accessed 30 Dec. 2014.

Published 30 Dec. 2014 LR. Last update 26 May 2018 LR
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