Atemoya, Annona cherimola x squamosa, is one of the most gracious Annonas, having a great deal fruitier flavor than the cherimoya, Annona cherimola. The atemoya is a man-made crossbreed between the cherimoya fruit bearing tree, indigenous to the Andes Mountains, and the sugar apple, an indigenous to the Caribbean.


The Atemoya is a reasonably fast-growing tree closely resembling the cherimoya. It often stays small, reaching only to 5 metersin height, but it could reach up to 10 meters.

The leaves are alternate, simple, rounded, 7-15 cm long and 6-10 cm wide. The blossoms are formed in small bundles with each individual flower 2-3 cm across and six flower petals. Flowers open up as female roughly at 2-4pm, followed by changeover to the male phase about 25-30 hours later. Flowering takes place in fall with fruit maturation 4-6 months later.

Atemoya Fruit

Fruits can be of varied size, but in general range 10-15cm long. Individual fruit could weigh up to 2 kilos; commonly have knobby, green skin, and a custard-like flesh. They might turn somewhat yellow when mature and they are high in ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Fruit is generally consumed fresh, out of hand.

Atemoyas grow most effectively in tropical or subtropical environments, being hardier than the sugar apple, but to a lesser extent than the cherimoya. Atemoya can endure low temperatures as low as -1°C. Trees growing in hotter, humid regions tend to yield fruit quite well.

Atemoya Propagation Methods

Propagation is by seed developing fruit from seed in 3-4 years. Named varieties of superior cultivars are propagated by grafts. Atemoya was first evolved at the Miami USDA lab in 1908. Trees generally don’t self-pollinate or at least hand-pollination tends to give rise to much higher yields. Atemoya trees like good deal of water, but oversupplying of water that leads to flood is deadly.

Atemoya, Annona cherimola x squamosa

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