Plant family: Ebenaceae
Plant origin: Eastern Mexico, Central America and South to Colombia
Fruit description: Do you like Chocolate ? Then you will like the Black Sapote which is also called the Chocolate Pudding Fruit. The flesh of a ripe fruit is dark brown, and it is soft and creamy like a chocolate pudding or chocolate mousse. Black Sapote fruit are large, either round or square shaped depending on the variety, and about 8 -18cm in diameter. Fruit is picked off the tree and ripened in a fruit bowl. The fruit have a thin skin that turns from a bright green color when unripe, to a dull olive green color when ripe. The skin is very thin and is usually not eaten. The edible pulp inside turns from a light brown color when unripe, to a dark chocolate color when ripe. In the pulp are several smooth seeds. The Black Sapote is a relative of the Persimmon.
Flowers: The plant starts to flower after 2 years, in the first year of flowering usually no fruit is set, in the second year of flowering the plant is strong enough to hold the fruit.
Growing conditions: The Black Sapote is an evergreen tree, which has year round glossy new growth and leaves. It likes a warm, moist site, and needs protection from heavy frost. They are fast growing, and produce a lot of fruit.
Uses: The fruit of Black Sapote must be eaten when they are very soft to touch. Some people prefer to eat Black Sapote by itself, but if the pulp is mixed with anything else the flavour is enhanced. Try mixing the pulp with dairy products like cream, yoghurt, ice-cream, or lime juice, passionfruit, palm sugar, or maple syrup, as they will all make a delicious dessert. The pulp can be used to make chocolate cake, and can also be frozen.
Medicinal uses: The fruit is high in Vitamin C.
Pollination requirements: Self – Pollinating. The plant starts to flower after 2 years, in the first year of flowering usually no fruit is set, in the second year of flowering the plant is strong enough to hold the fruit.
Harvest time The Black Sapote takes 2-3 years to bear its first fruit. The Harvest season is September to February. Ripe fruit is indicated by the calyx lifting off the fruit, and the calyx changing from a green color to brownish.
Plant relatives It is related to Persimmon. It is not related to the green sapote, mamey sapote, yellow sapote (Sapotaceae), or the white sapote (Rutaceae)
Special features: Black Sapote are easy to grow, the plants and fruit have no insect or disease problems. The fruit take 10 months to develop from flowering to ripening. Caution ! – the fruit must be eaten when totally soft to touch. Black Sapote is not related to the green sapote, mamey sapote, yellow sapote (Sapotaceae), or the white sapote (Rutaceae), sapote in Mexican means "soft edible fruit".
Grown by method: Seed Grown Pot size: 140mm
Plant growing Height and Width for pots or in the ground planting: Grows to 2.5 metres high by 2 metres wide if Planted in a Pot. Grows 6 metres high by 4 metres wide if Planted in the Ground.
Shipping plant pot or planter bag size: 140mm
