Chirimoya

Annona cherimola

A delicious flavour, tasting like a cross between a banana, pear and a pineapple. The white flesh of the ripe cherimoya is sweet, juicy and very fragrant. It is most commonly eaten out of-hand or scooped with a spoon from the cut open fruit. American writer Mark Twain called the cherimoya "the most delicious fruit known to men". The creamy texture of the flesh gives the fruit its secondary name, the custard apple.

Origin

The Chirimoya originally comes from the highland regions of South America, especially the Andes in Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. It was already cultivated by the Incas. The name "Chirimoya" is derived from Quechua and means something like "cold seeds" because the plant thrives in the cooler highlands of the Andes. Cherimoya is grown in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world including Central America, northern South America, Southern California, South Asia, Australia, the Mediterranean region, and North Africa. The first plants came to Spain in 1757. Being Swiss, I was unaware of this fruit until I moved to Spain and it won me over with its unusual shape and sweet taste.

Habitat

The cherimoya prefers a mild, frost-free climate and thrives at altitudes of 800 to 2400 meters. It requires nutrient-rich, well-drained soil and is particularly sensitive to waterlogging.

uses

The flesh of the cherimoya is eaten raw and is known for its delicious taste, reminiscent of a mixture of banana, pineapple and vanilla. The black seeds, on the other hand, are inedible and slightly poisonous. Chirimoyas are ideal for desserts, smoothies or ice cream.

The seeds of the cherimoya are poisonous! They contain various alkaloids, and eating them leads to nausea and various symptoms of poisoning. The seeds are used as an insecticide and for parasitic skin diseases, as well as a strong emetic and laxative.

Special features in permaculture

The cherimoya can be a valuable component of permaculture systems in subtropical regions. Its foliage helps improve soil quality as it provides organic material that enriches the soil. In addition, the plant attracts pollinating insects, making it an asset for biodiversity. Habitats: tropical, subtropical up to 2400 m above sea level! Prefers a dry period.

Habitats: Andes, tropical, subtropical up to 2400 m above sea level! Prefers a dry period.

Flower: yellowish-green, inconspicuous

Flowering time: spring (male flowers first)

Harvest time: autumn-winter

Growth: up to 10 meters high

Edible parts: fruits (without seeds)

Other uses: seeds as pesticide

Plants found at Son Selva: 1

Planting

Annona cherimola is a fairly dense, fast-growing, woody, briefly deciduous but mostly evergreen. There is a dry period in the area where the cherimoya is grown, and the trees do not thrive as well in permanently humid climates. Frost is barely tolerated - the trees survive temperatures of -3°C, and even lower temperatures cause damage or death.

The inconspicuous, greenish-yellow flowers are hermaphroditic. The short-lived flowers open as female, then progress to a later, male stage in a matter of hours. This requires a separate pollinator that not only can collect the pollen from flowers in the male stage, but also deposit it in flowers in the female stage. Studies of which insect(s) serve as the natural pollinator in the cherimoya's native region have been inconclusive; some form of beetle is suspected. Manual pollination is often used during cultivation to ensure good fruit formation. The fruits ripen about five to eight months after pollination and are harvested when they give slightly but are not yet completely soft. The fruits continue to ripen after harvest, so they are classified as climacteric fruits.