Soursop (Annona muricata)

Features and Characteristics

Annona muricata, commonly called soursop (also known as graviola or guanabana), is a small evergreen tropical tree that is native to Central and tropical South America. In the wild, it is a slender tree that will grow to 15-20′ tall often with down-curved branching. It grows much smaller in containers. The name soursop is in reference to its large edible fruits which have a slightly acidic or sour taste. This tropical plant is not reliably winter hardy to most of southern Florida, but may be grown in the Florida keys and Puerto Rico. In greenhouses, it typically flowers in summer producing fruits in fall. Each flower (to 2″ long) appears singly on a woody stalk almost anywhere on the tree (twigs, branches or trunk). Each flower has three yellowish-green outer petals and three dull yellow inner petals. Flowers give way to rough-skinned, prickly-textured, oblong fruit (each fruit from 6-12″ long to 4-6″ wide with weight to 8-15 pounds). Fruit pulp is used in ice cream, sherbets or juices. Leathery, egg-shaped, malodorous (when bruised), oblong to oval leaves (to 6″ long) are glossy green above. Plants have been used for various medicinal purposes.

Genus name comes from the Latinized version of the American Indian (Taino) vernacular name for the cherimoya, soursop or custard-apple.