Soursop
Big, spiky, and intensely tropical, the fruit behind every good batido. Cold-sensitive, so where it sits matters.
Annona muricata
The big spiny green fruit behind guanabana shakes, tangy and tropical.
Why it works here
Soursop brings that unmistakable guanabana flavor, a mix of strawberry, pineapple, and citrus, and it is the annona people most want for shakes and ices. The catch is cold. It wants warm sites that never freeze and dislikes prolonged temperatures below 50 degrees, so on the Treasure Coast it belongs in your warmest, most sheltered pocket, near the house and out of cold air drainage. In the right spot it is a handsome, upright evergreen with glossy leaves.
Care
Keep it evenly watered through the warm season and never waterlogged. Feed with compost and balanced organic fertilizer and mulch wide, off the trunk. It is an evergreen with no real dormancy, so it stays sensitive to cold year round, which means cold protection for young trees is not optional here. Prune to keep it low and easy to harvest, and to shed weight from its soft wood before storm season.
Common problems
The annona seed borer is again the main pest, and bagging young fruit is the clean organic answer. Mealybugs and scale are common, especially on stressed trees, and beneficial insects plus hose sprays keep them down. Ambrosia beetles can attack weakened wood, so keeping the tree healthy and unwounded is the best defense. Honest caveat: pick the fruit firm and let it soften indoors, because a fully tree-ripened soursop tends to drop and split before you catch it.
Common questions
How cold can it take?
Not much. It is the tenderest of the common annonas and resents anything much below 50 degrees for long. Give it your warmest spot and protect young trees on cold nights.
When do I pick it?
When it reaches full size and the spines start to soften and the color lightens, but before it is fully soft. Let it finish ripening on the counter so it does not split and drop.
Does it need hand pollination?
It helps. Like its cousins the flowers can set poorly on their own, so a little hand pollination improves your crop, and bagging the young fruit keeps the seed borer out.
Interested in a soursop in your landscape?
We plan, install, and care for it. Start with a paid consultation.