Mamey Sapote – Pouteria sapota

Plant family: Sapotaceae

Plant origin: Mexico.

Fruit description: The Mamey Sapote is a large round or oval fruit, up to 17cm long, with thick brown skin. Inside, the aromatic flesh is orange pink, with a rich sweet creamy taste and luscious flavour. It has one large shiny seed.

Flowers: The flowers occur in clusters on all 1, 2, and 3 year old branches. They are small pale yellow or white.

Growing conditions: The Mamey Sapote is a very handsome evergreen tree. It can reach a height of about 8 metres. It needs a warm climate and moist soil. It can tolerate some frost.

Uses: Eat the ripe fruit fresh, or make it into delicious desserts, smoothies, fruit salad, milkshakes or ice-cream. The flesh is especially nice with lime or lemon juice on it. You can store the flesh in the freezer. The unripe fruit can be used as a vegetable.

Medicinal uses:

Pollination requirements: Self-Pollinating.

Harvest time The fruit is ready in Autumn, 10 months after flowering. Pick the fruit when it is slightly soft, or when a tiny scratch through the skin shows pink flesh. It will keep ripening after picking.

Plant relatives The Mamey Sapote is related to the Yellow and Green Sapotes, Sapodilla and Abiu, but is not related to the Black Sapote or the White Sapote.

Special features: The Mamey Sapote is the National fruit of Cuba.

Grown by method: Seed Grown Pot size: 6 litre

Plant growing Height and Width for pots or in the ground planting: Grows to 3 metres high by 2 metres wide if Planted in a Pot. Grows 8 metres high by 5 metres wide if Planted in the Ground.

Shipping plant pot or planter bag size: 6 litre