Highlights
Red custard apple is fast-growing, deciduous tree with a rounded or spreading crown and can reach up to 25ft tall.
Long cultivated in S. America for its fruit, it is mainly grown in gardens in various areas of the tropics for its edible fruit.
The plant needs a tropical climate for good growth, but it can survive in subtropical conditions. It is less drought-tolerant than the sugar apple and prefers a humid atmosphere.
Prefers a moist, sandy loam with a pH around 6 and does best in low-lying, deep, rich soil with ample moisture and good drainage.
Trees come into bearing in 4 - 5 years from seed.
With adequate care, a mature tree will produce up to 100 pounds of fruits a year.
The sweetish fruits are eaten raw and often they are used in preserves. The redish flesh, like the other Annonas, is pulpy and contains numerous brown seeds. When fully ripe the fruit is soft to the touch and the stem and attached core can be easily pulled out. Ripe fruits can weigh up to 2.5 pounds. The hard seeds are non edible and toxic, but can be swallowed whole with no ill effects.
