VARIETY
BAYS
WHITE
BOOTH
FINO DE JETE
PIERCE
KJ PINK
Atemoya
AFRICAN PRIDE
Atemoya
DESCRIPTION
Ventura CA 1920 Best in Carpinteria area, Fruits round, medium size, light green. Flavor good, almost lemony with licorice undertones, custard texture.
Lemon Grove, CA 1928 A commercial favorite in Carpinteria. Best near coastal areas. Fruit large, to 4 lbs., conical. Firm, flesh juicy, flavor weak, suggesting mango-papaya. Most popular, fewer seeds.
Hollywood, CA 1921. Among hardiest of cherimoya, does well in most present growing areas. Tree 20 to 30 ft high. Fruit is conical, impressa type, medium size, rather seedy, with flavor that suggests papaya.
Great flavor, sweet with more acid so it is tangier. It also has a smooth texture. Few seeds.
Hollywood, CA 1921. Among hardiest of cherimoya, does well in most present growing areas. Tree 20 to 30 ft high. Fruit is conical, impressa type, medium size, rather seedy, with flavor that suggests papaya.
ANFIC Proprietary. Owned by Austrian Nurserymen’s Fruit Improvement Company LTD (ANFIC). Any order needs NPA. DO NOT SELL RB approval. Also know n as a Custard Apple. Sets heavy with no need for hand pollination. Suited for high density. Spring/early Summer in suitable climates.
The Atemoya is a hybrid of two fruits (the sugar-apple and the cherimoya). Heart shaped or rounded. The texture is solid but melting and juicy, similar to custard or flan but more juice than creamy. Grows as an espalier. Prefers well draining fertile soil with neutral to slightly acidic pH.
HARVEST
May – Oct
May – Oct
LATE MARCH
May – Oct
May – Oct
March – June
Jan. to April
June to August
Common Names: Cherimoya (U.S., Latin America), Custard Apple (U.K. and Commonwealth), Chirimoya, Chirimolla.
Origin: The cherimoya is believed to be native to the valleys of Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru during ancient times. Seeds from Mexico were planted in California (Carpinteria) in 1871.
The cherimoya tree bears fragrant flowers that form in small groups along the branches. A single flower first opens as female for only 36 hours, followed by a male stage lasting another 36 hours. However these flowers are almost never pollinated by their own pollen, so they must be quickly and carefully hand-pollinated with collected male pollen. Best months are June – August.
Once pollinated, the flowers will bloom from late winter to early summer, followed by the fruit, which ripens from October to May. The cherimoya fruits are large, four to eight inches long and weighing up to five pounds, with flavors reminiscent of mango, banana, and pineapple, with a creamy custard consistency.