09/24/2025
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🌱 Field Bulletin: The Soursop Family (Annonaceae)
By Malcolm Steele, MPH – Alternative Medicine & Functional Nutrition – Big Steele Urban Farm
🧬 Family Overview
• Family: Annonaceae (Custard Apple family)
• Genus of interest: Annona (with >160 species recognized globally).
• Native range: Tropical & subtropical Americas, now cultivated worldwide.
• Traits: Aromatic fruits, diverse textures (from custard to fibrous), rich in phytochemicals.
🍈 Key Members of the Family
• Soursop – Annona muricata
Large, spiny green fruit; tangy-sweet pulp. Valued in folk medicine. Genome sequenced in 2021.
• Sugar Apple – A. squamosa
Scaly segments; intensely sweet pulp. Common in the Caribbean & Asia.
• Cherimoya – A. cherimola
Highland specialty; creamy “custard” texture. Called the “ice cream fruit.”
• Custard Apple – A. reticulata
Red to brown skin, softer pulp; variable flavor, but key in breeding.
• Biribá – A. mucosa
Smooth yellow rind; lemon-meringue flavor. South American native.
• Pond Apple – A. glabra
Tolerates floods; used as rootstock.
🔬 Human-Created Hybrids
• Atemoya (A. cherimola × A. squamosa)
• Origin: USDA, Miami (1908).
• Traits: Creamy like cherimoya, sweet like sugar apple.
• Cultivars: ‘Gefner,’ ‘Lisa,’ ‘Priestley.’
• Cherilata (A. cherimola × A. reticulata)
• Florida breeder cross.
• Traits: Pink-red flesh, custardy with “berries-and-cream” flavor.
• Temoylata / Temolyata (experimental cross: Atemoya × A. reticulata)
• Breeder-created hybrids.
• Aim: Heat tolerance + firmer texture.
⚠️ Note: Atemoya has a formal nothospecies name (× atemoya). Other crosses like Cherilata and Temoylata are breeder terms, not yet official botanical species.
🍊 Why Bother With Hybrids?
• Flavor balance: Combine sweetness, creaminess, acidity.
• Climate adaptation: Reticulata genes improve heat tolerance.
• Horticulture: Reduce seed count, boost pulp yield.
• Genomics: The A. muricata genome now supports marker-assisted breeding.
🧪 Phytochemicals & Nutrition
• Key compounds: Acetogenins (e.g., annonacin), alkaloids, xanthones.
• Lab findings: Cytotoxic & antiparasitic activity (in vitro/animal).
• Nutrition: High in vitamin C, fiber, and beneficial plant compounds.
⚠️ Safety Note:
Epidemiology from Guadeloupe links chronic, heavy intake of soursop teas/seeds to atypical parkinsonism. Cause: annonacin (a mitochondrial toxin). Fresh fruit pulp is generally safe in moderation; avoid concentrated leaf/seed products.
🌍 Where They Grow
• Thrive in humid tropics (zones 10–12).
• Cold-sensitive: damage below ~40 °F (5 °C).
• Adaptable to sandy loam soils with good drainage.
✅ Bottom Line:
The soursop clan is diverse, flavorful, and scientifically fascinating. Hybrids like atemoya are already staples in Florida and abroad, while new crosses like cherilata are redefining the custard apple scene. Enjoy the fruit — but respect the leaf/seed chemistry
