Pouteria sapota

Pouteria sapota, mamey sapote, is a species of tree native to Middle America, naturally ranging from southern Mexico to southern Costa Rica, plus Cuba. Today, the tree is cultivated not only in Mexico, but also in Central America, the Caribbean, and South Florida for its fruit, which is commonly eaten in many Latin American countries. Mamey can be found in many Latin American communities throughout the USA, where it is made into milkshakes and ice cream among other things.

Some of its names in Latin American countries, such as mamey colorado (Cuba),zapote colorado (Costa Rica) and zapote rojo (South America), refer to the reddish colour of its flesh in order to distinguish it from the unrelated but similar looking Mammea americana, whose fruit is usually called "yellow mamey" (Spanish: Mamey amarillo).

The Australian and Queensland Government’s research and development programs have produced mamey sapote in Australia.

Description

Mamey sapote is a large and highly ornamental evergreen tree that can reach a height of 15 to 45 meters (60 to 140 feet) at maturity. It is mainly propagated by grafting, which ensures the new plant has the same characteristics as the parent, especially its fruit, as it doesn't grow true to seed. It is also considerably faster than growing trees by seed, producing fruit in three to five years, grown from seed needs seven years of growth. In Florida, the fruit is harvested from May to July with some cultivars available all year.