We have recently published ‘Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions’: i.e. tropical and sub-tropical regions. We rely on regular donations to keep our free database going and help fund development of this and another book we are planning on food forest plants for Mediterranean climates. Please give what you can to keep PFAF properly funded. More >>>

Follow Us:

 

Annona mucosa - Jacq.

Common Name Wild Sweetsop
Family Annonaceae
USDA hardiness 10-12
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Lowland humid limestone forest from sea level to around 600 metres[ 307 ]. Found mainly in the more open areas of secondary growth[ 420 ].
Range S. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana; C. America - Panama to Mexico; Caribbean.
Edibility Rating    (5 of 5)
Other Uses    (2 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (1 of 5)
Care (info)
Tender Moist Soil Full sun
Annona mucosa Wild Sweetsop


Ahmad Fuad Morad
Annona mucosa Wild Sweetsop

 

Translate this page:

Summary

Native to tropical South America, Wild Sweetsop (Annona mucosa) belongs in the Annonaceae family. It is an evergreen tree with a low but dense crown and can reach up to 10 - 20 m tall when fully matured. The leaves are used in folk medicine as a remedy for rheumatism. The edible, yellow fruit has an excellent quality and can be used in ice cream, pies and cakes. The seeds have wide range of uses like as a material in making necklaces and bracelets, and as an insecticide. The wood is yellowish, medium-textured, hard and strong but not durable. The tree is fast growing and cannot tolerate frost. Fruiting starts when the tree is about 4 years old.


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of cone
Annona mucosa is an evergreen Tree growing to 12 m (39ft) by 12 m (39ft) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10 and is frost tender.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Rollinia deliciosa Saff. Rollinia mucosa (Jacq.) Baill. Rollinia orthopetala A.DC. Rollinia pulchrin

Plant Habitats

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit
Edible Uses:

Fruit - raw or cooked. Of excellent quality[ 46 ]. The yellow fruits have a juicy, melting flesh of a very pleasant flavour, reminiscent of lemon meringue pie[ 301 ]. Delicious[ 317 ]. Usually eaten raw, they can also be used in ice cream, pies, cakes etc[ 301 ]. The fruit can be up to 15cm wide[ 307 ].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Antirheumatic

The leaves are utilized in folk medicine as a treatment against rheumatism[ 317 ].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

The Bookshop: Edible Plant Books

Our Latest books on Perennial Plants For Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens in paperback or digital formats.

Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions: 250+ Plants For Tropical Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.
Edible Tropical Plants

Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions: 250+ Plants For Tropical Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.

More
Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.
Edible Temperate Plants

Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.

More
PFAF have eight books available in paperback and digital media.
More Books

PFAF have eight books available in paperback and digital formats. Browse the shop for more information.

Shop Now

Other Uses

Beads  Containers  Insecticide  Wood

Other uses rating: Low (2/5). Other Uses The seeds are very hard. They are used as beads in necklaces and bracelets[ 317 , 420 ]. The seeds are used as an insecticide[ 317 ]. The yellowish wood is medium-textured, straight grained, heavy in one report[ 307 ], but light in another[ 420 ], hard and strong[ 307 , 420 ]. It has poor mechanical properties and is not durable[ 420 ]. It is used for small constructions, making boxes and linings[ 317 , 420 ].

Special Uses

Food Forest

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

A plant of the hot, humid, tropical lowlands[ 335 ]. Plants are very susceptible to frost damage[ 335 ]. Prefers a fertile, well-drained soil and a position in full sun[ 307 ]. A fast-growing tree[ 307 ]. Plants can commence bearing fruit when about 4 years old[ 416 ]. Plants are becoming threatened in the wild due to deforestation[ 307 ].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

image

The PFAF Bookshop

Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees,Edible Shrubs, Woodland Gardening, and Temperate Food Forest Plants. Our new book is Food Forest Plants For Hotter Conditions (Tropical and Sub-Tropical).

Shop Now

Plant Propagation

The seed of many species in this genus has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing[ K ]. Sow the seed in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. A germination rate in excess of 50% can be expected from treated seeds[ 420 ]. When the seedlings are 6 - 8cm tall, pot them up into individual containers[ 420 ]. Layering. Grafting.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Wild Sweetsop (Annona mucosa)

Native Range

NORTHERN AMERICA: Mexico, Chiapas, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, SOUTHERN AMERICA: Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad, United States, Puerto Rico, Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Guyana, Venezuela, Brazil, Acre, Amazonas, Bahia, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Pará, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, São Paulo, Bolivia, El Beni, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru,

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

None Known

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : This taxon has not yet been assessed.

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Annona atemoyaAtemoyaTree8.0 10-12 FLMHND502
Annona cherimolaCherimoya, Custard AppleTree9.0 8-12 FLMHNDM522
Annona liebmannianaHardshell custard-apple, Posh-teTree20.0 9-12 FLMHSNMWe400
Annona muricataSour SopTree7.0 10-12 FLMHSNM432
Annona salzmanniiBeach Sugar AppleTree12.0 10-12 SLMSNM402
Annona squamosaSugar Apple, Sweetsop, Custard AppleTree6.0 10-12 SLMNDM522
Annona vepretorumAraticum, Pinha da Caatinga, Araticum-da-bahiaTree6.0 10-12 SLMHND402
Asimina trilobaPapawShrub4.5 5-8 SMSNM423
Cananga odorataYlang Ylang, Perfume TreeTree20.0 10-12 FLMHSNM234
Oxandra lanceolataBlack lancewood, lancewood, haya prietaTree10.0 10-12 MLMHNM004
Oxandra laurifoliaYaya, lancewoodTree10.0 10-12 MLMHNM004

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Expert comment

Author

Jacq.

Botanical References

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.

Readers comment

Add a comment

If you have important information about this plant that may help other users please add a comment or link below. Only comments or links that are felt to be directly relevant to a plant will be included. If you think a comment/link or information contained on this page is inaccurate or misleading we would welcome your feedback at [email protected]. If you have questions about a plant please use the Forum on this website as we do not have the resources to answer questions ourselves.

* Please note: the comments by website users are not necessarily those held by PFAF and may give misleading or inaccurate information.

To leave a comment please Register or login here All comments need to be approved so will not appear immediately.

Subject : Annona mucosa  
© 2010, Plants For A Future. Plants For A Future is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Charity No. 1057719, Company No. 3204567.