Annona cherimola

The Annona cherimola or Cherimoya tree is a bush native to South America, sensitive to frost and cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas for its delicious fruits. This evergreen, medium-sized plant has an upright and wide habit, adorned with beautiful dark green foliage. It bears fruit reasonably quickly after 3 to 4 years of planting. The fruits are about the size of an apple, heart-shaped, with green skin and sweet white flesh. A long summer is necessary for them to ripen, which, combined with their low hardiness, limits planting possibilities to the mildest areas of the Mediterranean coast. Elsewhere, it should be treated as a conservatory plant and grown in containers to be brought indoors in winter.

The Cherimoya tree is a member of the Annonaceae family, which includes about a hundred genera and around 2500 species, including the Asimina triloba, or Paw Paw, a hardy fruit tree in our climates, and the Ylang-Ylang, a strictly tropical tree whose yellow flowers with their enchanting fragrance are used in perfumery. The Annona genus comprises more than 120 species, some of which produce fruits consumed in the tropics (cinnamon apple, soursop, beef heart...).
The Cherimoya tree, or Annona cherimola, thrives in its natural habitat in the Andes Mountains in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. It's a testament to its adaptability; it can grow at altitudes ranging from 1300 to 2600 m. This tree flourishes in a montane tropical climate, with a relatively small annual temperature range, from about 10°C to 30°C. In these conditions, it forms a bush or small tree that can reach a height of about 7 to 9 m, with a short trunk that often branches out from the base. It has an upright habit, with branches reaching the sky and a broad spreading crown. The foliage is generally evergreen, although in some climates, it grows naturally in the Andes Mountains in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador, at altitudes ranging from 1300 to 2600 m. It therefore thrives in a mountainous tropical climate, characterised by a relatively small annual temperature range, from about 10°C to 30°C. In these conditions, it forms a bush or small tree that can reach a height of about 7 to 9 m, with a short trunk that often branches out from the base. It has an upright habit, with branches reaching towards the sky and a wide-spreading crown. The foliage is generally evergreen, although, in some climates, it may briefly become deciduous during the year.
Being able to tolerate only light and brief frosts, it is cultivated in subtropical areas, especially in mild Mediterranean regions such as Israel, Italy, and Spain, on the "Costa Tropical" (the southern coastal area between Motril and Malaga). In this privileged Andalusian micro-region, the 'Fino de Jete' variety is mainly grown, as it is slightly more frost-resistant (down to approximately -4°C for a well-established plant, but young plants die at 0°C). In these orchards, it is trained as a small tree with a short and relatively thick trunk supporting a wider-than-tall crown. The plant reaches a height of approximately 4 m with a spread of 5 m or slightly more. The dense vegetation forms a compact dome consisting of branches covered with medium to dark green, somewhat glossy oval leaves, 8 to 12 cm long and 4 to 6 cm wide for the most part. Positioned alternately on the branches and hanging almost vertically, they give the plant a very characteristic silhouette. The spring flowers have six petals and are greenish-yellow in colour. They are hermaphroditic (possessing both male and female organs), but the pollen (male) matures one day after the pistil (female). That is why manual pollination is carried out in orchards, allowing for more regular fruit sizes. Fruiting occurs over a long autumn and winter period, as the fruit ripens within 5 to 8 months. The cultivated fruit is roughly the size of an apple, with a heart-shaped morphology. In their natural habitat in South America, the fruits have much more heterogeneous dimensions, measuring from 8 cm to 20 cm long and weighing 150 g to 1 kg. The green skin is reticulated, appearing to have scales, while the flesh is white. The fruit can be stored for a long time in cold conditions if picked before ripening, but once exposed to air, it ripens extremely quickly, going from firm to soft in 1 to 3 days (especially in warm weather). Its texture is often described as intermediate between fresh cream and a ripe banana, so it is usually eaten with a spoon. As is frequently the case with exotic fruits, the fruit is tasty and sweet, but its taste is difficult to describe, with some hints of strawberry, pineapple, mango, vanilla, banana... What is certain is that it is rich in nutrients, vitamins, potassium, and fibre. It contains almost black seeds, which are easy to spit out while eating.

The Cherimoya tree can be grown in the ground in warmer climates. Indeed, in addition to being frost-sensitive, it does not like wind or excessively high temperatures, which limits its potential for cultivation.  In other areas, you can grow it in containers and prune it at the end of winter to keep it at 2 m or 2.5 m, making it easier to overwinter in a cold greenhouse. You can accompany it with other conservatory plants, such as the Citrus x meyeri (Meyer Lemon tree), which produces immense fruits with less acidity than traditional lemons. You can also surprise your friends with the tree tomato (Cyphomandra betacea 'Red Tamarillo'), another frost-sensitive bush with curious red fruits shaped like small eggs and delicately acidic flesh.