Common Names for Blighia Sapida

Appearance

• Akee grows to an average height of 33 to 40 feet, producing a stout, smooth gray trunk topped with a dense, spreading crown of glossy evergreen leaves and fragrant, white, five-petaled flowers. The fruit is quite distinctive in appearance, resembling a squat, leathery pear. Fruits are yellowish green when immature and hot pink when mature. Once mature, fruits split open to reveal shiny black seeds and a white aril that Purdue University describes as having a nutty, crisp flavor.

Location

• The akee hails from the tropical forests of the Ivory Coast and Gold Coast of West Africa. Akee is only suitable for the warmest climate zones, growing in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant hardiness zones 10B to 12. The tree can generally handle temperatures as low as 32 degrees Fahrenheit, with established trees sometimes surviving temperatures as low as 26 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Desert Tropicals website. Akee will grow in full sun or light shade.

Culture

• The durable tropical tree will grow on a range of soil types, though it prefers a loamy, fertile soil and regular watering. In the right climate zones, akee requires little cultural care according to Purdue University. The tree may be propagated by seeds, which will start bearing fruits in about five years. Grafted trees will produce fruit in as little as a year, according to Montos Gardens website. Akee may also be cultivated by cuttings of shoots.

Uses

• Akee must be harvested and prepared properly in order to be safe to eat. The outer rind or "jacket" of the fruit, the immature or overripe arils, the seeds and the pink membrane surrounding the seeds are all toxic and can cause severe poisoning, even death. Symptoms of poisoning include vomiting, sleepiness, convulsions and coma. The tough, durable heartwood of the tree is distasteful to termites and is used for construction and for building oars and caskets.