Abiu
Pouteria caimito
Smooth yellow fruit with caramel-flan flesh; rub the lips with oil before eating, the skin is sticky.
Hardiness: zones 11 to 12
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 30 ft tall, 20 ft wide
Harvest: year-round
From: Amazon basin
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food.
Native to: Tropical South America. Hardy in zones 11 to 12.
The story
Abiu is a sapote of the Amazon basin, eaten by Indigenous peoples and grown in Belém and Manaus backyards for its glossy yellow fruit with translucent, caramel-sweet pulp; it reached Hawaiʻi and Queensland in the 20th century.
Planting
Full sun or part shade, rich, moist, drained soil, heat, and humidity; a 30-foot tree. Plant a grafted variety; seedlings vary.
Growing
Water steadily and mulch; shelter from wind. Prune to keep it low and open.
Harvest and use
Fruit ripens bright yellow and must be fully ripe or the latex is sticky; chill and spoon out the pulp. Wipe the lips if sticky.
What to watch for
Fruit fly and cold.
See if Abiu fits your yard
Free planner: enter your ZIP for frost dates, climate fit and a sowing calendar. No account, no ads, no tracking cookies.
More tropical and subtropical food plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home