Common Name: Bullock's Heart

General Information

Annona reticulata is a fast-growing, deciduous tree with a rounded or spreading crown[]. It can reach up to 7 metres tall with a bole up to 30cm in diameter[, , ].
Long cultivated in S. America for its fruit, the tree is no longer known in a truly wild setting[]. It is mainly grown in gardens in various areas of the tropics for its edible fruit[, ]. The flesh, which is somewhat lacking in flavour, does not taste as good as some other members of this genus, so it is not so popular on the local market[].

Known Hazards

The hard seeds are very toxic, but can be swallowed whole with no ill effects[]. All non-fruit parts of the plant are quite toxic[].

Botanical References

,

Range

Central America - Panama to Mexico. The Caribbean.

Habitat

Not known in a truly wild location[]. Moist or dry thickets and forest, often in second growth, common in cultivation, chiefly at elevations of 1,200 metres or less in Guatemala[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	10.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated

Cultivation Details

The plant needs a tropical climate for good growth, but it can survive in subtropical conditions[]. It is less drought-tolerant than the sugar apple and prefers a humid atmosphere[]. It succeeds from sea level to an elevation of 1,500 metres[]. Plants can tolerate light frost[].
Prefers a moist, sandy loam with a pH around 6[]. The custard apple does best in low-lying, deep, rich soil with ample moisture and good drainage[]. It grows to full size on oolithic limestone, and grows wild in light sand and various other types of soils[]. It is not drought tolerant[].
Trees come into bearing in 4 - 5 years from seed[].
The tree is naturally a fairly heavy bearer. With adequate care, a mature tree will produce 34-45 kg of fruits/year[].
In Thailand it has been grown as a mixed home garden plants along with big trees like mango, ma-praang, coconut etc[].
It may also be useful as a genetic resource for hybridization work on Annona species[].
The leaves are ill-smelling[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[]. The sweetish fruit varies considerably in quality; some are eaten raw but most often they are used in preserves, drinks, ice cream, puddings etc[, ]. The cream-white flesh, like the other Annonas, is pulpy and contains numerous brown seeds[]. A firm, sweet, yellow pulp. When fully ripe the fruit is soft to the touch and the stem and attached core can be easily pulled out[]. The fruit is up to 12cm in diameter[]. Ripe fruits can weigh from 400 - 1,000 g[].

Medicinal

The leaves are used internally against worms, and externally to treat abscesses[, ].
Crushed leaves or a paste of the flesh may be poulticed on boils, abscesses and ulcers[].

Unripe fruits and the bark are rich in tannin[]. They are used to treat diarrhoea and dysentery[, ]. In severe cases, the leaves, bark and green fruits are all boiled together for 5 minutes in a litre of water to make an exceedingly potent decoction[].

Fragments of the root bark are put around the gums to relieve toothache[]. The root decoction is taken as a febrifuge[].

The finely grated stem bark is placed on the area of an enlarged spleen[].

A concentrated extract of the see is employed to remedy dysentery and diarrhoea[].

Other Uses

The leaves are employed in tanning and also yield a blue or black dye[, ].

Young twigs provide good fibre[, ]. Superior to the bark fibre from Annona squamosa[, ]. The bark is used for tying the frames of huts[].

The seeds, leaves and young fruits have insecticidal properties[]. The plant is poisonous and has a potential as a pesticide for non-vertebrates.

The yellow wood is soft, fibrous but durable, moderately close-grained, with a specific gravity of 0.65[, ]. It is used to make utensils, yokes for oxen[, ].

Propagation

Seed - usually breeds true to type[]. Sow in individual pots, not deeper than 2cm, at 21c[]. The germination rate ranges from low to medium[].
The seed of many species in this genus has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing[].
Semi-ripe cuttings[].

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