Custard Apple (Cherimoya): The Twain-Praised Andean Fruit
Mark Twain called the cherimoya "the most delicious fruit known to men." Native to the high Andes, it has been cultivated for over 1,000 years.
Cherimoya (Annona cherimola) is the most famous member of the custard apple family. Mark Twain, after tasting one in Hawaii in 1866, called it "the most delicious fruit known to men, cherishable." Native to the highlands of the Andes, the fruit has been cultivated in Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia for over 1,000 years.
Origin and history
Wild cherimoyas grow in the Andean valleys of Peru and Ecuador between 1,400 and 2,000 meters elevation. Pre-Inca ceramics depict the fruit in detail. Spanish colonists carried cherimoya to Spain, where the climate of southern Spain (especially Granada) produced commercial-quality fruit. From there it reached Madeira, the Canary Islands, and California.
Where cherimoyas grow today
Spain is the world's largest commercial producer (the Granada-Almuรฑรฉcar region). Chile, Peru, Bolivia, and California also produce commercially. The closely related sugar apple (Annona squamosa) grows widely in tropical lowlands across Southeast Asia and Latin America.
How to grow cherimoya
- Climate: Subtropical to highland tropical. Prefers 15-25ยฐC year-round with cool nights. USDA Zones 10-11; some hardiness in protected Zone 9.
- Soil: Well-drained sandy loam.
- Sun: Full sun.
- Pollination: Hand-pollination often needed โ flowers are protogynous and natural pollinators are rare outside the native range.
- Spacing: 5-7m.
- First fruit: 3-5 years from a grafted tree.
Bottom line
Custard-textured fruit with notes of banana, pineapple, vanilla, and strawberry. Demanding but rewarding for the dedicated gardener in a Mediterranean climate.