Description
The flesh is fragrant and sweet, creamy white through light yellow, and resembles and tastes like custard.
Well-branched tree or shrub from the family Annonaceae that bears edible fruits called sugar-apples. It tolerates a tropical lowland.
Plant Specifications
Plant Height | 24 inch (61 cm) |
Plant Spread | 8 inch (20 cm) |
*above specification are indicative only. actual dimensions may vary by +-10%
Common Name | Sugar Apple, Custard apple, Sita Phal, Sharifa |
Maximum Reachable Height | 10 to 20 feet (3 to 6 m) |
Flower Colour | Yellow-green |
Bloom Time | Summer, Spring |
Difficulty Level | Easy to grow |
Planting and care
Sitaphal care
Seed propagation is the traditional method, through which the sugar apple tree is grown. It is the most used propagation method. Plant spacing is 5 X 5 m. The plantation is done in the rainy season.
Sunlight | Full Sun to Partial Shade |
Watering | Medium, to improve the fruit size and yield you should be done one or two irrigation when fruits are developing |
Soil | Custard apples grow best in sandy loam soils, but well-structured clay loams are also suitable |
Temperature | 25 to 41 degrees C |
Fertilizer | Apply any organic fertilizer |
Harvest Season | Summer, Spring |
Sitaphal special feature
Sugar apples (Annona squamosa) are the fruit of one of the most commonly grown Annona trees.
Sitaphal uses
Medicinal Use:
- The bark and leaves contain annonaine, an alkaloid
- In tropical America, a decoction of the leaves is used as a cold remedy and to clarify urine
- A bark decoction is used to stop diarrhoea, while the root is used in the treatment of dysentery
- Sugar-apple is high in energy, an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese, a good source of thiamine and vitamin B6, and provides vitamin B2, B3 B5, B9, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium in fair quantities
- Note: Use only after consulting the specialist
Culinary Use:
- The ripe fruits are edible
- The sweetish fruit varies considerably in quality; some are eaten raw but most often they are used in preserves, drinks, ice cream, puddings etc.