Cherimoya

Plant Characteristics
Habit		tree
Height:	⇕	30 ft"ft" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 30.
Lifespan:	⌛	perennial
Origin:	✈	Ecuador, Colombia, Peru

Cultivation

Exposure:	☼	sun
Features:	✓	fruit
USDA Zones:		9 to 12
Sunset Zones:		21-25

Scientific Names
Annonaceae >	Annona >	cherimola >

Growth Habit: The cherimoya is a fairly fairly dense, fast-growing, evergreen tree, briefly deciduous in California from February through April. The tree can reach 30 feet or more, but is fairly easily restrained. Young trees "harp," forming opposite branches as a natural espalier. These can be trained against a surface, or pruned off to form a regular free-standing trunk. Growth is in one long flush, beginning in April. The roots commence as taproot, but the slow-growing root system is rather weak, superficial, and ungreedy. Young plants need staking.

Foliage: The attractive leaves are single and alternate, 2 to 8 inches long and up to 4 inches wide. They are dark green on top and velvety green on the bottom, with prominent veins. New growth is recurved, like a fiddle-neck. Axillary buds are hidden beneath fleshy leaf petioles.

Flowers: The fragrant flowers are borne solitary or in groups of 2 or 3 on short, hairy stalks along the branches. They appear with new growth flushes, continuing as new growth proceeds and on old wood until midsummer. The flowers are made up of three fleshy, greenish-brown, oblong, downy outer petals and three smaller, pinkish inner petals. They are perfect but dichogamous, lasting approximately two days, and opening in two stages, first as female flowers for approximately 36 hours. and later as male flowers. The flower has a declining receptivity to pollen during the female stage and is unlikely to be pollinated by its own pollen in the male stage.

Adaptation: The cherimoya is subtropical or mild-temperate and will tolerate light frosts. Young growing tips are killed at 29° F and and mature trees are killed or severely injured at 25° F. If cherimoyas do not receive enough chilling, the trees will go dormant slowly and then experience delayed foliation. The amount of chilling needed is estimated to be between 50 and 100 hours. The tree grows well in the coastal and foothill areas of southern California, doing best at a slight elevation, 3 to 15 miles from ocean. It is worth attempting in sunny, south-facing, nearly frost-free locations from San Francisco Bay Area to Lompoc, and may survive to fruit in a very few protected Central Valley foothill locations from Chico to Arvin. Resentful of the excessive dry heat of the interior, it is not for the desert. Cherimoyas are not recommended for container culture.

Fruits: The compound fruit is conical or somewhat heart-shaped, 4 to 8 inches long and up to 4 inches in width, weighing on the average 5-1/2 to 18 ounces, but the largest fruits may reach 5 pounds in weight. The skin, thin or thick, may be smooth with fingerprint-like markings or covered with conical or rounded protuberances. The sweet, juicy, white flesh is melting, subacid and very fragrant. The fruit is of a primitive form with spirally arranged carpels, resembling a raspberry. Each segment of flesh surrounds a single hard black bean-like seed. The fruit size is generally proportional to the number of seeds within. They ripen October to May.

Cultivation

Location: Cherimoyas prefer a sunny exposure, buoyant marine air and cool nights. In southern California do not plant where heat collects on barren hillside or against a wall, since the leaves and fruit may sunburn badly. In the north, do the opposite: plant against a south facing wall to collect heat and encourage early bud-break and fruit ripening. The trees need protection from constant ocean or Santa Ana winds which may damage them and interfere with pollination and fruit set.

Soil: The cherimoya performs well on a wide range of soil types from light to heavy, but seems to do best on a well-drained, medium soil of moderate fertility. The optimum pH ranges from 6.5 to 7.6.

Irrigation: Cherimoyas need plenty of moisture while they are growing actively, but should not be watered when they are dormant. The trees are susceptible to root rot in soggy soils, especially in cool weather. Commence deep watering biweekly in April. Drip irrigation is also an excellent way to supply water. It is best to avoid poor water to prevent salt build-up. Drought-stressed trees will drop their leaves, exposing the fruit to sunburn.

Fertilization: Cherimoyas should be fertilized on a regular basis. Apply a balanced fertilizer, such as 8-8-8 NPK, in midwinter, then every three months. Increase the amount of fertilizer each year until the trees begin to bear fruit. Mature trees require an annual application of 4 ounces of actual nitrogen per inch of trunk diameter. Cherimoyas also respond to organic amendments. It should be kept in mind that yellow leaves may mean that the soil too dry or the weather too cold, not always a need for fertilizer.

Pruning: Cherimoyas have rather brittle wood. Prune during the dormant period to develop strong branches that can support the heavy fruit. Train the tree to two scaffold branches at 2 feet of trunk, pruning them to a 2 foot length. Save only the strongest single shoots, preferably those at 60 to 90 degree angle, and remove the others. In the following years, remove two-thirds of the previous year's growth, leaving six or seven good buds, at time of new growth. This will keep fruiting wood within reach of the ground. Thin out crossing branches.

Frost Protection: Young trees are very frost sensitive. Wrap the trunk and scaffold with sponge foam for protection, or cover the entire tree. In cooler areas plant next to a south-facing wall or under the eaves to trap house heat.

Pollination: Since natural pollinators are not present in California, the flowers must be pollinated by hand. This is best done in mid-season of bloom, over a period of two to three months. In early evening, collect in a small bottle the anthers and pollen from the interior of fully open male flowers with a #2 or #3 artists brush. Anthers will be tan colored and the white pollen falling from them will be obvious. The pollen has its highest viability at the time it is shed and declines significantly with time. Immediately apply freshly collected pollen with a small brush to the flowers in partially open, female stage. If no female stage flowers are available, pollen may be saved in the sealed container under refrigeration overnight. Pollen may then be applied to female stage flowers in the morning. In large scale operations the pollen may be mixed with inert Lycopodium spores, PVC, starch or talc powder and applied with aspirator-type Japanese apple-pollinators, to save time and pollen. Pollinate every two or three days, and only flowers easily reached inside the tree, to avoid sunburned and wind-damaged fruit. If pollination efforts are quite successful, it may be necessary to thin the fruit. Too much fruit may result in small size and adversely effect future yields.

Harvest: The fruit turns a pale green or creamy yellow color as they reach maturity. Color change is not marked in cool weather. They should be picked when still firm and allowed to soften at room temperature. Ripe fruit will give to soft pressure. Overripe fruit will be dark brown. Fruit left on the tree too long will usually crack or split and begin to decay. The fruit should be clipped rather than pulled from the tree. Cut the stem close to the fruit so it won't puncture other fruit during storage.

Store mature fruit above 55° F to prevent chilling injury to the skin and flesh. Ripe fruit will deteriorate quickly but can be stored at temperatures lower than 55° F for short periods.

Propagation

Since there are no recognized rootstocks for cherimoyas, seedlings are universally utilized. Seeds from the White cultivar (Dr. White) are thought by some to produce superior rootstocks, however there does not appear to be a great deal of objective data to support this position. Seeds remain viable for two to three years if kept dry and protected from weevil and fungi. With 70° F bottom heat, seed will germinate in about 21 days, but will require about 40 days under normal ambient growing conditions. Seedlings should be transplanted to deep containers (approximately 18") when they are 3" tall to promote development of the tap root. In frost-free areas, it is recommended that seedlings for spring grafting be planted in their ultimate location in the fall and grafted in the ground the following spring.

Grafting is most successful in January through May provided previous years leaves have not been shed from the potential scionwood. During this period no scion preparation is required other than removal of leaves. All normal grafting techniques appear to be equally successful. However in topworking, nurse branches are desirable if not essential for success. To bud, collect budwood in July store refrigerated for 10 days in plastic. Petioles will drop exposing dormant buds. Bud at once using chip bud technique and wrap well against dehydration. Grafted plants will bear in two to three years.

Pests and diseases

Mealybugs and snails are the main pests of cherimoyas. Keep ducks or apply copper strips to the trunks for control of snails. Mealybugs are brought by ants which can be controlled to some extent by maintaining fresh Tanglefoot on masking tape around the trunk. The masking tape is important to prevent damage to the tree. Skirt the tree to prevent ant access from the ground or weeds. No chemicals are registered for use on Cherimoyas.

Cherimoyas are susceptible to Armillaria (Oak Root Fungus) and Verticillium. Do not plant in old vegetable gardens, or near tomatoes, eggplant or asters. Crown rot can kill trees damaged by frost or growing in saturated soil, as well as from trunks hit by frequent, superficial lawn sprinkling.

Cultivars

Bays - Origin James Bays, Ventura, Calif., 1920. Tree broad, to 20 ft. Best in Carpenteria area. Fruits round, medium size, light green, skin shows fingerprint like marks (impressa type). Flavor good, almost lemony.
Big Sister - Origin James Neitzel, San Diego, Calif., 1979. Sibling of Sabor. Fruit large, very smooth, good flavor; impressa type. Often self-fruitful.
Booth - Origin A. F. Booth, Hollywood, Calif., 1921. Among hardiest of cherimoya, does well in most present growing areas. Tree 20 to 30 feet high. Fruit is conical, impressa type, medium size, rather seedy, with flavor that suggests papaya.
Chaffey - Origin A.M. Chaffey, West Los Angeles, Calif., 1945. Seed from Salta, Argentina. Tree rather open, fast growing. For coastal areas. Fruit small to medium, round, impressa type, with high, lemony flavor.
Ecuador - Tree broad, branches limber, spreading. Selected for superior hardiness. Fruit medium, quite dark green, mammillated, flavor good.
El Bumpo - Origin Rudy Haluza, Villa Park, Calif., 1986. Fruit conical, medium size, mammillated, not suited for commerce. Skin soft, practically edible. Flavor among the finest.
Honeyhart - Medium, skin smooth, plated, yellowish green. Pulp has smooth texture, excellent flavor, very juicy. Ripens November to March.
Knight (syns. DV, Pierce, M&N Pierce) - Origin a Mr. Knight, Orange, Calif., 1930's. Scions imported from Mexico. Recovered from Dr. Pierce's ranch, Goleta, in 1950's and propagated under several names. Tree has medium vigor, medium-sized pale green wavy leaves. Fruit has minor protuberances, a thin skin, a slightly grainy texture and is quite sweet.
Libby - Origin Rudy Haluza, Villa Park, Calif.,1986. Tree large. Fruit impressa type, round conical; early harvest. Sweet, strong flavor.
McPherson (syn. Spain) - Tree pyramidal, vigorous, to 30 ft. Fruits small to medium in size, conical, dark green, impressa type, not seedy. Flavor suggests banana, sweetness varies with temperature while maturing.
Nata - Origin George Emerich, Fallbrook, Calif., 1983. From Ecuadorian seed. Tree vigorous, bears quickly, flowers profuse, tendency to self-pollinating. Fruits smooth, light green, conical, 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 pounds. Skin thin, tender. Flavor has good sweet-acid balance.
Ott - Origin William Ott, La Habra Heights, Calif., 1936. Plant patent #656. Seed from Mexico, D.F. Tree strong growing. Fruit medium, heart shaped tuberculate, flesh yellow, seedy, very sweet. Matures early.
Pierce (syns. Knight, Escondido White, Ryerson, Thomson-Spain, & Bayott) - Believed to be from a group of scions imported from Mexico in the 1930's by a Mr. Knight of Orange. Dr. H. F. Pierce planted a grove in Goleta in that period made up largely of trees produced by Knight. This cultivar was Dr. Pierce's favorite and was named "Pierce" by him. Tree is vigorous with large dark green leaves. Fruit is medium sized elongated conically shaped with very smooth skin and a high sugar content.
Sabor - Origin James Neitzel, San Diego, Calif., 1979. Sibling of "Big Sister". Fruit mammillated, varies in size, not usually large. Among the best in flavor.
Whaley - Origin Hollywood, Calif., 1924. Tree moderately vigorous. Fruit medium to large elongated conical, tuberculate, light green, flavor good. Seed enclosed in an obtrusive sac of flesh.
White (syn. Dr.White) - Origin J. H. MacPherson, Lemon Grove, Calif., 1928. Tree open, unkempt; to 35 feet, needs forming. A commercial favorite at Carpinteria. Best near coast. Fruit large, to 4 pounds, conical, with superficial small lumps (umbonate). Flesh juicy, flavor weak, suggesting mango-papaya.

Gallery

Split
Ripe fruits
Tree
Plantation in south Andalusia

Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Read about Cherimoya in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
Annona cherimola, Mill. (A. tripétala, Ait.). Chirimoya. Cherimoya. Cherimoyer. Cherimolla. Tree, 15- 25 ft. high, with young growth fulvous tomentose: Lvs. persistently velvety-tomentose beneath, sparsely pubescent above, ovate to ovate-lanceolate or obovate, sometimes elliptical, obtuse at the apex or obtusely acuminate, usually rounded at the base: fls. fragrant, extra-axillary, often opposite a If. at the base of a branchlet, usually solitary but sometimes 2 or 3 on short nodding tomentose peduncles, the exterior petals oblong-linear, not exceeding 1¼ in. length, keeled on the inside and excavated at the base, greenish yellow or rufous on the outside and clothed with velvety tomentum, pale yellow or whitish within and marked with a purple spot at the base; inner petals very small, squamose, ovate or triangular, usually flesh-colored or purple and keeled on the outside: fr. variable in shape and appearance, sometimes conoid or heart-shaped, with surface bearing protuberances; sometimes spheroid or ovoid with the surface covered with concave or squamose U-shaped aréoles, each bearing a small wart or tubercle; and sometimes quite smooth or with the surface having the appearance of putty marked by fingerprints; pulp white, edible, pleasantly acidulous, easily separable from the seeds; seeds usually obovate, obliquely truncate, somewhat compressed, with a thin membranous brown testa which is usually more or less wrinkled or pitted, owing to the wrinkled surface of the inclosed endosperm. Andes of Peru and adjacent regions, but naturalized at a very early date in Mex. and Cent. Amer. Successfully intro. into S. Calif., Canary Isls., Madeira, the mts. of India, and Hawaii. Essentially a subtropical plant which does not yield good result» in low tropical countries.—Frs. of exquisite flavor are produced on the island of Madeira, where the trees are trained on trellises and are taking the place of grapes in the economy of the island. Excellent results have also been secured in S. Calif. See Cherimoya. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Read about Cherimoya in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
Cherimoya, Cherimoyer (Quichua. language of Peru, chirimuya, signifying cold seeds). (Annona Cherimola, Mill.). Figs. 903-905. An important table fruit of warm countries. See p. 293, Vol. I, for botanical description. The cherimoya is considered by many to be the finest of the subtropical fruits, and that not only by the natives of the countries in which it grows, but also by Europeans. It is somewhat like the pomme-cannelle, or sweet-sop, but differs from it in having a pecuilar acidulous flavor most agreeable and grateful to the taste. For centuries the cherimoya has been cultivated and several distinct varieties have resulted. One of these has smooth fruit devoid of protuberances, which has been confused with the inferior fruits of both Annona glabra and A. reticulata. The last two species, however, are easily distinguished by their leaves and flowers; Annona glabra, commonly known as the alligator apple or mangrove annona, having glossy laurel-like leaves and globose flowers with 6 ovate petals, and A. reticulata having long narrow glabrate leaves devoid of the velvety lining which characterizes those of the cherimoya. Both of these species, moreover, are essentially tropical, while the cherimoya is subtropical, growing in tropical countries only at considerable elevations, where the climate is cool and the soil well drained. The origin of the cherimoya has been much discussed. De Candolle, however, is in all probability correct in attributing it to the mountains of Ecuador and Peru. The common name which it bears, even in Mexico, is of Quichua origin, as explained above; and terracotta vases modeled from cherimoya fruits have been dug up repeatedly from prehistoric graves in Peru. It was introduced at a very early date into Central America and Mexico and into Jamaica in 1786 by Hinton East. It is now of spontaneous growth in limited areas both in Central America and the mountains of Jamaica. In Madeira, the cherimoya has taken the place of the grape-vine on many of the estates on the warm southern slopes of the island. Here the cultivation is systematic. The two-year-old seedlings are budded or grafted. The trees are frequently trained on walls or on trellises, so that the fruit may hang in the shade while ripening, and manure is regularly supplied (see Annona). The result of careful selection is that there are varieties of fine flavor, comparatively few seeds, and great size, weighing from twelve to sixteen pounds. According to W. Fawcett, ordinary fruits weighing from three to eight pounds, have been sold in the London market at $1.50; large ones at $2.50 and even $3. The cherimoya has been successfully introduced into southern California where it finds the most favorable conditions in the foot-hills near the coast. The cherimoya grows in the form of a small tree, usually about 15 or 20 feet high. The flowers are remarkably uniform, but vary somewhat in size. They are often solitary or in two's or three's, while those of the bullock's heart (Annona reticulata) and the sugar-apple (A. squamosa) are usually clustered. The leaves are always velvety on the lower surface. The following varieties, based upon the form of the fruit, are recognized: (1) Finger-printed cherimoya (forma impressa), known in Costa Rica as "anona de dedos pintados.” This form was the first to be figured (Feuillee, Pl. med. Journ. Obs. 3: append. 24, pl. 17, 1725). The fruit, conoid or subglobose in shape, has a smooth surface covered with concave U-shaped areoles resembling finger-prints in soft wax or putty. It is one of the best varieties, with sweet juicy pulp of good flavor, and with relatively few seeds. (2) Smooth cherimoya (forma laevis), called in South America "chirimoya lisa" and in the market of Mexico City, "anon." Fig. 903. It is this form which is so often mistaken for Annona glabra and A. reticulata on account of the general appearance of the fruit and the common name "anon”, which is also applied to the fruit of the last-named species. This is one of the finest of all the cherimoyas. (3) Tuberculate cherimoya (forma tuberculata). Fig. 904. One of the commonest forms, in which the fruit is heart-shaped and bears small wart-like tubercles near the rounded apex of each areole. To this group belongs the "golden russet" cherimoya grown in the orchard of C. P. Taft at Orange, California. It is the form most frequently found in the Peruvian markets and is represented in prehistoric pottery from the graves of that country. (4) Mammillate cherimoya (forma mamillata). called in South America, "chirimoya de tetillas”. This is the form successfully established on the ranch of Charles F. O'Brien, in the mountains of Santa Monica, southern California. It is also the common form of the Nilgiri Hills of India, and is one of the best forms grown on the Island of Madeira. (5) Umbonate cherimoya (forma umbonata), called "chirimoya de puas" and "anona picuda" in Latin America. In this form the skin of the fruit is comparatively thick, the pulp more acid than in other forms, and the seeds more numerous. It has the flavor of pineapple and is one of the best for producing cooling drinks and sherbets. The fruit is oblong-conical in shape, with the base more or less umbilicate and the surface studded with protuberances, each of which corresponds to a component carpel. To this form should be referred the "Horton" cherimoya, grown in the vicinity of Pasadena, California. Very recently there has been received from Florida an interesting fruit borne by a hybrid, the result of pollinating the stigmas of a cherimoya with the pollen of Annona squamosa. The leaves of this plant are very broad, resembling those of A. Cherimola in shape, but glabrous like those of A. squamosa. The fruit resembles that of A. Cherimola in form, but with the protuberences very distinct and covered with a glaucous bloom like that of A. squamosa. The seeds are distinct from both species, larger than those of A. squamosa, and much darker colored than those of A. Cherimola; and the pulp is very juicy, with the fine slightly acidulous flavor of the cherimoya. ^CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

References

w:Cherimoya. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
Cherimoya QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)
http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/cherimoya.html
California Avocado Society Yearbook, 1947 pp 67-70.
Morton, Julia F. Fruits of Warm Climates. Creative Resources Systems, Inc. 1987. pp. 65-69.
Ortho Books. All About Citrus and Subtropical Fruits. Chevron Chemical Co. 1985. pp. 23-25.
Popenoe, Wilson. Manual of Tropical and Subtropical Fruits. Hafner Press. 1974. Facsimile of the 1920 edition. pp. 161-177.
Sanewski, G. M. Growing Custard Apples, Brisbane, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Horticulture Branch, 1987.
Smithsonian Institution, U.S. National Herbarium Contributions, Vol. 18 (1927).

External links

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