Green Sapote Seedling

The Green Sapote is a sweet fruit that tastes very much like caramel / pumpkin pie, and is sometimes referred to as a “caramel peach”. It is a more cold tolerant and arguably more tasty relative of the Mamey Sapote. It grows well in New Zealand’s frost-free or frost-protected locations with well-draining soil, much like an avocado.

These plants were grown from a mix of different types of good tasting green sapote fruit (vary in colour, size, shape). Check out my other listing for seedlings of a large green type.

The first photo shows what the standard green sapote looks like, while the rest are a plant highly similar to what you will receive (same size at least). It’s a very nice solid plant with some minor insect damage to some leaves (they are a favourite of caterpillars).

Trees in New Zealand seem to, on average, produce fruit in about 6 years. It may take longer if they are not growing in ideal conditions. They generally are quite happy at about 3m high at maturity but can grow larger over time if not pruned annually. There are productive trees (that I have seen) are growing in Tauranga, Auckland and Northland, and possibly even further South. If frosts are expected in your location, it is recommended that some permanent cover be setup as mature trees only tolerate light frost. They are self-fertile.

In colder areas it is recommended to grow this tree in a container if good protection cannot be provided. It does not tend to grow into a particularly large tree under New Zealand conditions, so is well-suited to growing in a large pot.

This seedling was grown from seed imported from a subtropical climate similar to ours and inspected/cleared by MPI. It may not grow true to type but they usually do, or are very close at least.