Growing Cherimoyas in Florida

Climate Preferences

• Cherimoyas are native to mountainous tropical regions of South America, where the temperatures are warm in the day and cool at night, but rarely go below freezing. The trees suffer superficial damage below 32 degrees and are killed by prolonged exposure to temperatures below 25 degrees. The climate of southern Florida is sufficiently warm for cherimoyas, though the humidity has a negative effect on the trees, sometimes resulting in poor growth and lack of fruiting.

Soils

• Florida's soils are quite suitable for cherimoya. Though they are adaptable to most soil types, cherimoyas prefer well-drained sandy loams, which are common in Florida. Low-lying, swampy areas in Florida should be avoided for planting cherimoyas. Cherimoyas tolerate soils with a pH value between 5 and 8, though they grow best when pH is between 6.5 and 7.6, which is not far from the average pH of soils in Florida of 6.1. The highly acidic soils that occur in some parts of the state can be remedied with applications of lime to support the growth of cherimoyas.

Pollination

• The specially-adapted insects that pollinate cherimoyas in their native habitat do not exist in Florida. Thus, hand-pollination is necessary, as it is in most places where cherimoyas are grown. This takes some effort and dedication, but it is not as difficult as it sounds. As cherimoya flowers begin to open, the female stigmas appear first and then disappear as the flowers open fully to reveal the male stamens. For fruit of cherimoyas to develop properly, the brown-colored pollen must be collected from the male stamens in the evening and applied to the tips of female stigmas the following morning with a tiny brush.

Varieties

• "Atemoya" is a type of hybrid cherimoya developed in Florida that tolerates humidity much better than other varieties. Because of the difficulty of hand-pollinating cherimoyas in Florida, try the "Chaffey" variety, one of the only types that fruit well without hand-pollination. "Chaffey" also is known for doing well in coastal areas, along with "White" cherimoyas. "Ott," "Pierce" and "Deliciosa" are better adapted to inland areas. "Booth" and "Ecuador," two of the most cold hardy selections, are the best choices in the northern parts of the state.