Araticum
Annona crassiflora
The cerrado's wild custard apple: a big, rough fruit with fragrant cream-coloured flesh, pollinated by beetles.
Hardiness: zones 10 to 12
Light: full sun
Size: about 20 ft tall, 12 ft wide
Harvest: August to October
From: Brazilian cerrado
Drought-hardy once established
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, pollinators.
Native to: Tropical South America. Hardy in zones 10 to 12.
The story
Araticum is the cerrado's wild custard apple, gathered from the ground for its fragrant flesh and eaten fresh or in sweets in Goiás and Minas Gerais.
Planting
Full sun in deep, well-drained, acidic soil. Like many cerrado trees it puts down a long root before it grows much above ground.
Growing
Slow at first; water through the early dry seasons. Beetles pollinate the thick flowers, so avoid spraying.
Harvest and use
The big fruit falls when ripe and splits easily. Scoop the creamy flesh and discard the seeds; it goes into juice, ice cream and sweets.
What to watch for
The seeds are toxic; don't crush or eat them. The fruit spoils fast once ripe.
See if Araticum fits your yard
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More tropical and subtropical food plants
- Cambucá
- Bush mango (ogbono)
- Calabash nutmeg (ehuru)
- African oil bean (ugba)
- Robusta coffee
- Prekese (aidan fruit)
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