Common Name: Black Sapote

General Information

Black sapote is an evergreen tree with a globose crown; it can grow 10 - 25 metres tall with a bole up to 45cm in diameter[, ].
Although the appearance of the flesh of the fruit does not appeal to everyone, black sapote is widely eaten in Mexico and some other countries[]. The tree is cultivated mainly in the tropical areas of Mexico and Guatemala for its fruit. It is little known outside these areas, though there is some breeding work being carried out in other countries, especially Australia[].

Known Hazards

The unripe fruit is used as a fish poison[].

Botanical References

Range

Northern S. America - Colombia, north through Central America to Guatemala.

Habitat

Dry or wet mixed forest usually around sea level[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moist tropics and subtropics. It can be grown at elevations up to 2,000 metres, but does best below 600 metres[]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 27°c, but can tolerate 12 - 34°c[]. Mature plants can be killed by temperatures of -2°c or lower, whilst young growth will be severely damaged at 0°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,200 - 1,600mm, but tolerates 1,000 - 2,400mm[].
Prefers a sunny position, tolerating some shade[]. The tree adapts to different soil types and survives flooding, but it is rather sensitive to drought, requiring abundant irrigation in dry areas[]. Plants are well adapted to calcareous soils[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, tolerating 5.5 - 7.5[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[]. Although dioecious, solitary planted female plants have been observed to produce seedless fruits in the abseb=nce of a male, and on rare occasions have produced fruit with fertile seeds[].
Seedling trees commence bearing fruit when 5 - 6 years old, whilst grafted specimens can fruit when 2 - 3 years old[].
Flowers are borne on the new shoots; hence the crop cycle is linked to flushing[]. Some trees bear flowers that are self-incompatible, so it is not advisable to plant a solitary tree[]. Fruit on cultivated trees is often seedless or nearly so[].
Black persimmon is said to have 4 times the vitamin C content of sweet, and to be a good source of calcium and phosphorus. Response to the taste varies greatly between people, and the dark chocolate colour of the pulp is considered to be unattractive. Nevertheless, because the tree is robust, well-adapted to the tropics, and heavy-bearing, a close re-examination of its potential is merited[].
There are some named varieties[].
We have seen no individual confirmation for this species, but in general Diospyros species are dioecious and require both male and female forms to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[]. Bitter and astringent when unripe, it should not be eaten until it is fully ripe and soft[, ]. Soft, rich, dark chocolate brown in colour and somewhat sweet[]. The black mushy flesh is repulsive in
appearance, reminding one of dirty axle grease[]. Rather bland, the fruit is best mashed with a little orange, lemon or lime juice and chilled before serving[, ]. The immature fruit can be boiled and used as a vegetable[]. The fruit is rather boring on its own, but delicious when used in smoothies, jams etc[]. The dark olive-green fruit is a flattened globose to slightly lobed berry, 5 - 15cm in diameter[].
The fruit turns a duller colour when ripe and the persistent calyx at the base, which is pressed against the developing fruit, becomes reflexed. At this stage the fruits are still firm. They soften 3 - 14 days after harvesting, individual fruits ripening suddenly and unpredictably within 24 hours[].

Medicinal

Various preparations of bark and leaves have been used medicinally against fever and skin disease[].

Other Uses

The wood is yellowish to deep-yellow with black markings near the heart of old trunks; it is compact and suitable for cabinetwork, but is little used[]. The wood is reported to have the qualities of typical ebony[].

Propagation

Seed - commonly propagated from seed, which remains viable for several months if stored dry[]. Seeds germinate in about 30 days[].
As a rule fresh seeds have a high percentage of fertility. The seedlings develop long taproots at an early stage, often before any appreciable elongation of the shoot takes place. The growth of the seedling is decidedly slow [].
Budding or grafting on seedling rootstocks is the way to propagate seedless types[].

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