Anona-mess

The first time I had anything from the genus Anona was in Bali. There I tasted a soursop (A. muricata) and it was delicious. Something like a creamy green apple flavor, but the flesh was really fibrous and it was somewhat hard to eat because of it. Since then, back in California, I've had a few chermoyas (A. chermimola), and they are even better. The flesh of the fruit is more consistent, and the only annoying part is the large seeds (which are ill advised to swallow). Still, I could eat many of them because the taste is so great. How have I not eaten these before moving to CA? Avocados don't grow in other parts of the country, yet you can find those in grocery stores everywhere. Maybe it's only a matter of time for cherimoyas.

Well, now I'm the owner of a few Anona plants, the grafted ones are flowering which of course bring the possibility of fruit. But, these aren't just cherimoyas, these are mostly atemoyas (A. chermola x A. squamosa aka Sugar Apple) and they're said to be even better. To the point where cherimoyas taste bad in comparison! The flowers are hermaphroditic; female in the morning and male in the evening. After the first one bloomed, I collected and pollen and stored it in the fridge for the next flower. Here's hoping it's still good when the next flower opens!

Here's my inventory:

• A. cherimola x A. squamosa; Atemoya 'Bradley' - grafted
• A. diversifolia (Ilama) 'Rosada' - grafted
• A. squamosa (Sugar Apple) 'Super Atis' - grafted
• A. cherimola x A. squamosa; Atemoya 'Island Gem' - grafted
• A. cherimola x A. squamosa; Atemoya 'Phat Pakchong' aka 'PPC' - grafted
• A. cherimola x A. squamosa; Atemoya 'Randhir' - grafted
• A. cherimola x A. cherimola
• A. diversifolia (Ilama) x (A. cherimola x A. squamosa; Atemoya)

Not Just Jaboticaba

I've recently been turned on to Jaboticabas...Jabuticabas...OK, this is why I don't like common names. Myrciaria...wait..they're Plinia now? The world outside Passiflora is confusing; just as confusing as Genus Passiflora I guess. It did take me a couple years to get it down to where I didn't sound like an idiot talking to the botanical bunch.

Anyway.

Jabos are a fantastic looking tree. They have bark that peels and gives the branches and trunk a mottled look like a Eucalyptus, but the grand part is that the flowers emerge from older growth including the trunk. They can cover it in little white puffy flowers that eventually turn into spherical fruits. It basically looks like the tree has third degree necrotic burns. That's not an appetizing analogy, so let's say it looks like grapes. Apparently the flesh of the fruit have a grape like texture covered by a thicker skin. And the taste is really good too, but I have yet to eat a single one. Nonetheless, I find myself, thanks to the generosity of a plant friend, with four plants and I'm looking for the fifth. Right now I have a large Plinia grimal (Grimal Jaboticaba), a small Plinia aureana (White Jaboticaba), a small Plinia x (Red Jaboticaba), and a tiny Plinia glomerata (Yellow Jaboticaba). As I said, I need the Plinia vexator (Blue Jaboticaba)...'cause I collect things.

In addition to the Jabos I picked up a Pouteria lucuma (Lucuma) and a Inga sp. (Ice Cream Bean). I don't know much about them yet. I'm excited to learn. And, I was given a couple of Diospyros nigra (Black Sapote), some Anona species and hybrids, and some rare banana varieties like 1000 finger Musa and Michel Gros Musa. I have no idea how well they'll do in my current yard. Hopefully I can keep them going until they're big enough to fruit at least once.

It was a fun weekend potting all of these plants. Now comes the hard part. Waiting to not kill them all.