Poshe-te, Annona scleroderma, also known as Cawesh and Wild Red Custard Apple is a very large, up to 20 meters tall, tropical, fruit bearing tree, native to the Atlantic slope of Southerly parts of Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. Annona scleroderma is a member of the Family Annonaceae the genous Annona.


Leaves are tough, lace-like, measuring 10 to 25cm in length and 5 to 8 cm wide. They are bright on the top side, somewhat haired on the bottom. Flowers are greenish yellow and the external petals have a length-ways prominence which develops in the small branches or in groupings in the old part of the thick branches. Flowering takes place on previous years’ outgrowth.

The Poshe-te tree produces an unusual, creamy banana-pineapple like flavor fruit. It is edible and nutritious and said to be one of the most tasteful and refreshing Annona’s, but Annona scleroderma is still elusive away from its native range. The fruit is consumed fresh and unlike some other Annona’s, the flesh is not fibrous.

Fruit is globose, the size of an orange, with a dull green, quite tough skin and in general quite seedy but, seeds separated easily from the delicious perfectly textured flesh. The tough peel allows it to be handled easily and makes it resistant to insect attack. Fruit picking can hold up to five months.

Tree propagation is commonly by seed, which germinate in about a month if fresh. If stored for several months, seeds might take up to six months to germinate. Trees produce fruit after about four years from seed planting.

Poshe-te, Annona scleroderma

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