How to Grow Cherimoya (Annona cherimola) in Southern California

By Richard Flowers, ACCNP, Green Thumb Nursery, Ventura

I still remember the first time I tasted this exotic fruit. The olive-green, egg-shaped fruit was covered in overlapping scales that looked almost like fingerprints pressed into the skin, and it weighed about three pounds. When I sliced it open, the creamy white interior was revealed, and I scooped out the custard-like flesh with a spoon, sifting out the numerous black seeds as I went. The flavor was sweet with a hint of tartness, delicate like candy but never overpowering, a cross between banana, pineapple, and custard. I was hooked. Cherimoyas are outrageously expensive at the grocery store, so here is the good news: you can grow one yourself. Read along and I will share some timely tips on growing this wonderful fruit.

What Is a Cherimoya?

Botanically, the cherimoya is Annona cherimola, a member of the custard-apple family (Annonaceae). In Spanish it is called chirimoya, and you will sometimes hear it called a custard apple, though that loose nickname is also used for a related species, so cherimoya is the more precise name. It is native to the Andean highlands of South America, in the region of Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia, and it is a subtropical tree that does surprisingly well in the right parts of Southern California. The flesh is what makes it famous: a fragrant, spoonable custard that tastes like a blend of banana, pineapple, and vanilla.

Can You Grow Cherimoya in Southern California?

Yes. Cherimoya grows best in the milder coastal and foothill areas of Southern California, roughly 3 to 15 miles from the ocean, where it gets plenty of sun and the soil drains freely. If you have had success with other subtropical backyard fruit such as backyard avocados, cherimoya is a rewarding next tree to try. It is not really a desert tree and dislikes prolonged dry, inland heat, although it is more adaptable to hot interior valleys than you might expect. It prefers summer temperatures around 65 to 80 degrees F and winter temperatures around 41 to 65 degrees F. Light leaf injury can begin near 29 degrees F, and while established trees survive brief dips to about 25 degrees F, young trees are far more tender and need protection from hard frost. In colder spots, plant it against a south-facing wall to catch warmth, and protect young trunks and branches from hard frost. In the hottest inland locations, shield it from extreme heat and dry winds, and use tree-trunk paint on exposed bark to prevent sunburn.

Cherimoya is a fairly dense, fast-growing, evergreen tree that goes briefly deciduous in California from about February through April, dropping its leaves before quickly leafing out again a month later. It can reach 30 feet or more but is easily kept to around 12 feet with pruning.

Here is a quick look at what cherimoya needs.

How to Hand-Pollinate Cherimoya

Here is the single most important thing to understand about getting fruit: in California you usually have to hand-pollinate the flowers. The small beetles that pollinate cherimoya in its native range are not present here, and the flowers themselves make natural pollination difficult. Each flower opens first in a female phase and only later in a male phase, so the pollen and the receptive stigma are rarely ready at the same time on the same flower. Hand pollination bridges that gap and dramatically improves your crop. Cherimoyas flower from about May to October, and the main hand-pollination window runs from roughly June to August.

The method is simple once you have done it a few times. You will need a small, soft brush about an eighth of an inch wide and a small container with a lid. In the evening, between about 4 and 7 pm, find a male-phase flower (its pollen looks like fine powder) and gently tap or brush the pollen into your container. Within the same hour, go to a female-phase flower, which is just beginning to open at the tips, dip your brush in the collected pollen, and dab it onto the stigma inside. Mark each flower you pollinate by tying on a bit of yarn or gently breaking one petal, so you can tell which are done. Keep the lid on the container so you do not spill the pollen, and check your tree often, because the male and female flowers are not always ready on the same day. In cooler, more humid coastal gardens, hand pollination is less critical, but it still helps. As a bonus, it gives you a chance to enjoy the flowers’ wonderful fragrance.

How Long Until a Cherimoya Tree Bears Fruit?

A grafted cherimoya tree usually begins bearing in about 2 to 5 years, with production increasing as the tree approaches 10 years old. A tree grown from seed takes longer and its fruit is more variable, which is why most gardeners start with a named, grafted variety. For a sense of how different fruit trees spread their harvests across the calendar, see our guide to twelve months of fruit growing.

When Is Cherimoya in Season and How Do You Harvest It?

In California, cherimoya ripens from fall into spring, roughly October through May, with some selections carrying into early summer. Harvest the fruit while it is still firm, when its deep green color begins to lighten to a paler yellow-green, sometimes with a faint bronze cast. Never pull a cherimoya off the branch, which tears and damages the fruit; instead, clip it off with pruners. The fruit is picked hard and ripens off the tree over a few days at room temperature, and it is ready to eat when it yields to gentle pressure, much like a ripe avocado or peach. Once soft, it will keep for a few days in the refrigerator.

Cherimoya Tree Care: Water, Fertilizer, and Pruning

Water infrequently during the brief February-to-April leaf drop, then water regularly once the tree pushes new growth, keeping moisture consistent to reduce fruit cracking and taking care not to wet the trunk. Feed with a balanced fertilizer in mid-winter and again about every three months. Do not panic at a few yellow leaves: that often means the soil is too dry or the weather too cold rather than a need for fertilizer. The best time to prune is during the dormant period, in late winter to early spring (around April in coastal California). Do not be shy with the pruners, because heavier pruning encourages more flowers and therefore more fruit, and it keeps the tree at an easy picking height. Paint exposed branches with tree-trunk paint after pruning, especially in hot, dry locations, to guard against sunburn.

Is Cherimoya Safe to Eat? Nutrition and Safety

Eat only the soft white flesh. Scoop it out with a spoon and discard both the skin and the shiny black seeds, which are toxic and should never be eaten or crushed. The seeds, along with the leaves and bark, contain natural compounds that are harmful if ingested; ground cherimoya seed has even been used as a natural insecticide. The flesh itself, eaten ripe, is a treat and a genuinely nutritious one: cherimoya is a good source of vitamin C and dietary fiber, along with B vitamins.

Ways to Enjoy Cherimoya

The simplest way to enjoy a ripe cherimoya is to halve it and eat the flesh straight from the skin with a spoon, discarding the seeds as you go. Beyond that, the flesh is wonderful:

• Blend it into a morning smoothie.
• Churn it into ice cream or sorbet.
• Combine it with other fruits for a tropical fruit salad.
• Mash and stir it into muffin or pancake batter.
• Dice it with red onion and a little jalapeno for a sweet-and-spicy salsa.
• Puree it into a fruity sauce or a chilled dessert soup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you grow cherimoya in California?

Yes. Cherimoya grows well in the milder coastal and foothill areas of Southern California, roughly 3 to 15 miles from the ocean. Give it full sun and fast-draining soil, and protect young trees from frost below about 25 degrees F.

How long does it take for a cherimoya tree to bear fruit?

A grafted cherimoya tree usually starts bearing in about 2 to 5 years, with yields increasing as it nears 10 years old. Trees grown from seed take longer and are more variable.

Why do you have to hand-pollinate cherimoya?

The beetles that pollinate cherimoya in its native range are not present in California, and each flower’s female and male phases barely overlap, so natural fruit set is poor. Hand-pollinating the flowers in the evening with a small brush gives a far more reliable crop.

When is cherimoya in season, and when do you pick it?

In California, cherimoya season runs roughly from fall into spring. Pick the fruit firm, when its color lightens to a paler yellow-green, then let it ripen off the tree until it gives to gentle pressure.

Does cherimoya ripen off the tree?

Yes. Cherimoya is harvested hard and ripens off the tree over a few days at room temperature. It is ready to eat when it yields to gentle pressure, much like a ripe avocado.

How big does a cherimoya tree get?

A cherimoya can reach 30 feet or more, but it is easily kept to around 12 feet by pruning in April, which also keeps the fruit within easy reach.

Are cherimoya seeds safe to eat?

No. Eat only the soft flesh. The shiny black seeds are toxic and should never be eaten or crushed, so discard the seeds along with the skin.

Sources

• California Rare Fruit Growers, Cherimoya Fruit Facts
• University of California Cooperative Extension (Ventura County), Cherimoya
• Purdue University NewCROP, Morton: Cherimoya (Fruits of Warm Climates)
• Annona cherimola seed acetogenins and toxicity (Toxins, peer-reviewed)

If growing your own custard-sweet cherimoya sounds tempting, come visit your favorite Green Thumb Nursery location and see what subtropical fruit trees we have in stock. All plants are subject to availability, so please call ahead.

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