Sapodilla
Manilkara zapota
Brown-sugar fruit from a wind-tough tree.
Hardiness: zones 10 to 12
Light: full sun
Size: about 30 ft tall, 25 ft wide
Harvest: May to September
From: Central America
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.
Native to: Mexico, Central America & the Caribbean. Hardy in zones 10 to 12.
The story
Sapodilla is native to the Yucatán and Central America, where the Maya tapped its latex for chicle, the original chewing gum, and ate the brown-sugar fruit. It travelled with the Spanish to the Philippines and across tropical Asia.
Planting
Full sun, drained soil, and heat; it tolerates salt and drought and takes light frost once mature. Plant a grafted tree for fruit in a few years.
Growing
Water young trees, then little; it is tough. Minimal pruning. It is slow but long-lived and wind-firm.
Harvest and use
Scratch the skin: brown underneath means ripe; green means wait. Pick and soften indoors a few days; the flesh tastes of pear and brown sugar.
What to watch for
Fruit fly, scale, and frost on young trees.
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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