Annona × atemoya

Atemoya (Annona × atemoya)
Scientific name	Annona × atemoya
Common name	Atemoya
Hybrid origin	Annona squamosa (sugar apple) × Annona cherimola (cherimoya)
Genus	Annona
Family	Annonaceae
Order	Magnoliales
Fruit type	Aggregate fruit
Growth form	Small to medium semi-deciduous tree
Native range	Garden hybrid; not known in the wild
Mature size	About 7 to 10 m if unpruned; commonly maintained at 2.4 to 3.7 m
Climate and hardiness	Warm subtropical to tropical; Florida reports young-tree damage near −2 °C
Soil and water	Well-drained soil; regular moisture from flowering through harvest; avoid flooding
Sun and humidity	Full sun; at least 70% RH during flowering and fruit set is reported as favorable
Propagation	Grafting or budding for named selections; seed mainly for variable seedlings and rootstocks
Years to fruit	About 3 to 5 years from seed; 2 to 4 years grafted in a UF/IFAS report
Pollination	Protogynous; nitidulid beetles are natural pollinators; hand pollination can improve set
Harvest	Florida: mainly August to October, with occasional later fruit where frost is absent

Atemoya (Annona × atemoya) is a cultivated hybrid of Annona squamosa (sugar apple) and Annona cherimola (cherimoya). It is a garden-origin hybrid rather than a species with a natural wild range.^[1] The fruit combines a green, sometimes strongly protuberant skin with white to creamy custard-like flesh. Shape, surface texture, seed number, and fruit quality vary among selections.^[2]

Description

Green immature atemoya fruit attached among the leaves.

Atemoya trees are fast-growing and may reach about 7 to 10 m when left unpruned, although home trees are commonly kept much smaller. UF/IFAS describes the leaves as elliptic, ovate, or lanceolate, hairy when young and smooth at maturity; the trees are semi-deciduous, with leaf drop influenced by cool temperatures and leaf-disease pressure.[1]

The aggregate fruit is conical to ovate and is reported by UF/IFAS at about 7.6 to 12.7 cm in diameter and 227 to 908 g. As fruit mature, the spaces between the protuberances expand and become yellowish, and a pale bloom may develop. The flesh is white or creamy white, custard-like, and sweet; fruits may contain about 10 to 40 dark brown seeds.[1]

Growing

Atemoya is adapted to warm subtropical and tropical production. UF/IFAS gives 22 to 32 °C as an approximate optimum production range and reports that low humidity during flowering can reduce fruit set. Full sun, wind protection, and a site that does not remain wet after rainfall are practical requirements for reliable growth and cropping.[1]

Soil

Atemoya is a garden hybrid, so it has no native soil association. Cultivation sources report good adaptation to well-drained sands and limestone-based soils, while Morton describes useful performance in soils ranging from sandy loam to heavy clay when drainage is good. Continuously wet or flooded soil is unsuitable for the commonly recommended sugar-apple or seedling-atemoya rootstocks; rootstock choice can alter flood response, but UF/IFAS still recommends planting atemoya in well-drained soil.[1][2]

Sun and humidity

Use full sun for growth and fruit production, with shelter from persistent strong wind. UF/IFAS reports at least 70% relative humidity during flowering and fruit set as favorable; dry, windy bloom conditions can reduce fruit set and scar developing fruit. A windbreak should protect the canopy without eliminating airflow.[1]

Seasonal changes

There is no native wet/dry-season calendar for this garden hybrid. In the Florida production schedule, the main bloom is April to June, with a smaller July bloom, and the principal harvest is August to October; late fruit can remain on trees into December or January where frost is absent and leaves persist.[1] In cultivation, maintain moisture from flowering through fruit development and harvest, then reduce watering after the fruiting season as the tree becomes leafless or semi-dormant. A drier period before spring flowering is reported as favorable, but avoid drought stress during bloom and fruit fill.[1]

Propagation

Seed-grown atemoyas are variable and are not a reliable way to reproduce a named selection. UF/IFAS reports 3 to 5 years to first fruit for seed-grown trees and recommends veneer or cleft grafting and shield or patch budding for superior varieties. Grafted trees on seedling atemoya rootstock may begin production in about 2 to 4 years in the cited Florida experience; Useful Tropical Plants gives a somewhat narrower 2 to 3 year report after grafting.[1]^[3]

Seeds are mainly useful for producing rootstocks or variable seedlings. Morton reports germination in about four weeks, but the interval depends on seed freshness and conditions; this should not be treated as a universal germination schedule.[2]

Flowering, fruiting, and harvest

Atemoya flowers are protogynous: the female phase is receptive earlier in the day, while pollen is released later. Nitidulid beetles are reported as natural pollinators, but natural fruit set can be poor or misshapen where beetles are scarce or bloom conditions are cool and dry. Hand pollination is often useful. UF/IFAS reports that hand pollination can improve fruit set and shape substantially, while the cultivar 'Gefner' is reported to crop satisfactorily without hand pollination under Florida conditions. 'African Pride' and 'Bradley' generally require hand pollination for dependable production in that setting.[1]

Harvest fruit when it has reached full size and the spaces between the protuberances have widened and become yellowish. Fruit picked too immature may darken and shrivel without ripening properly. Clip fruit from the branch, allow it to soften at room temperature, and refrigerate only after ripening; UF/IFAS reports a short refrigerated life of about two to four days for ripe fruit.[1][2]

Fruit and uses

The ripe flesh is usually eaten fresh with a spoon. It can also be used in fruit salads, shakes, ice cream, and other desserts. Remove the seeds before blending or serving; UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions and Morton both describe the seeds as toxic or unsuitable for eating.[2]^[4]

Cultivars and selections

UF/IFAS identifies 'Gefner' as the most satisfactory selection under Florida conditions in its home-landscape account and reports that it can produce without hand pollination. 'Page', 'African Pride', and 'Bradley' are also documented, but their fruit-splitting or pollination limitations should be considered site-specific rather than universal cultivar descriptions.[1] Morton records additional historical selections, including 'Mammoth', 'Island Beauty', 'Geffner', 'Malamud', 'Bernitski', 'Kabri', and 'Malai #1'.[2]

Problems

UF/IFAS lists the annona seed borer, scales, mealybugs, ambrosia beetles, dry fruit rot, and fruit rot among problems affecting atemoya in Florida. Bagging individual fruit can prevent seed-borer infestation. Poor drainage, drought during flowering or fruit fill, cold, salt, and strong wind can also reduce growth or crop quality.[1]

References

• ↑ [1] UF/IFAS, Atemoya Growing in the Florida Home Landscape (MG332), accessed 2026-08-24.

• ↑ [2] Julia F. Morton, Atemoya, Fruits of Warm Climates, 1987 reproduction, accessed 2026-08-24.

• ↑ [3] Useful Tropical Plants, Annona × atemoya, accessed 2026-08-24.

• ↑ [4] UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions, Sweetsop, Soursop and Atemoya, accessed 2026-08-24.

Image credits

• Annona atemoya.jpg — user:Takoradee, CC BY 2.5; whole and cut atemoya fruit from Taiwan.
• Atemoy.jpg — Elavarasi.v, CC BY-SA 4.0; immature fruit among leaves.