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Canistel Pouteria campechiana a.k.a. Yellow Sapote, Egg Fruit A usually glowing yellow, waxy skinned fruit with a pulp that
has the consistency of a hard-boiled egg yolk. Highly favored
in the tropics, the canistel is rarely grown in the United States.
Fruits can be highly variable in size and shape--ranging from
round to pointed and ovaloid. |
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Uses |
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Eaten fresh out of hand. Sometimes used in custards, pies, milkshakes and other desserts. |
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Plant Cultivation |
| Primarily tropical. Grows quite well in Florida, but will generally
not survive to fruiting age in California without cold protection. A mid-sized
tree, usually 20-40ft, but up to 100ft. Leaves are slender, glossy, and
sharply tapered at the base. Branches contain a gummy latex. Tolerant
of a wide variety of soils, and can grow in poor soil. Seedling trees
produce in 3-6 years, grafted or air layered trees a year or two earlier.
Fruiting generally occurs during the winter months and on into spring. Propagation: Propagation is by seeds, grafting and air-layering. Seeds loose viability within a few days and will usually sprout within 2-3 weeks. |
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Origin and Distribution |
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Native to Southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and El Salvador. Cultivated in Florida, Central America and throughout the West Indies. |
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