Sapodilla Plant Adaptations

Climate

• Sapodillas have adapted to both wet and dry climates and are drought-hardy. While at home in the tropics, fully grown sapodillas briefly can withstand temperatures in the mid-20s. Freezing conditions can kill young sapodillas, though. At the other extreme, flowers or fruits may be harmed when the mercury hits 106 F, according to Purdue University. Also, the trees grow in a variety of microclimates that change with altitude -- from sea level to more than 9,000 feet in Ecuador. Additionally, sapodillas can survive salt sprays and being waterlogged.

Soil

• The trees thrive in a variety of soils, including broken-down limestone, calcareous marl, sand, lateritic gravel and soil that is slightly clayey or deep, unpacked and organic, according to the Purdue University website. The trees also have evolved to withstand a lot of saltiness around their roots. While marginal soil will do, it should be well drained. While sapodillas are somewhat adapted to water-saturated soil, wetness can stunt their growth and decrease fruit output, according to the University of Florida IFAS Extension.

Fruit

• Providing fruit for animals to eat is a way sapodillas disperse seeds. These feeders include howler monkeys and ocellated turkeys, according to Belize Botanic Gardens. The brown, oval fruits grow 2 to 4 inches across and produce a yellow to brownish flesh, according to California Rare Fruit Growers. The fruits, which taste like pears or brown sugar, ripen up to half a year after the tree flowers. Some varieties fruit nearly year-round in the tropics.

Chicle

• Sapodillas secrete a substance called chicle to defend themselves from animal or insect assaults, according to a July 2009 story on National Public Radio. The Dictionary of Food and Nutrition reports chicle is partially dehydrated latex that contains resin, waxes, carbohydrates, tannins and rubbery gutta. Ironically, the presence of chicle can kill a tree instead of protect it because of over-tapping.