Is soursop and sugar apple the same?
Robert Miller
Published Mar 04, 2026
Is soursop and sugar apple the same?
I soon realised that the one I’ve been eating is actually known a sweetsop or sugar apple in English (or buah nona in Malay). The sweetsop (sometimes also called custard apple) is actually a relative of the soursop. It is smaller in size and has no soft spikes.
What does a sugar apple tree look like?
The sugar apple tree varies in height from 10-20 feet (3-6 m.) with an open habit of irregular, zigzagging twigs. Foliage is alternate, dull green on top and pale green on the underside. They are yellow-green with a pale yellow interior borne off of long drooping stalks.
Which fruit is known as sugar apple?
Custard apple
Introduction. Custard apple (Annona squamosa L.) is an edible tropical fruit, and is also called sugar apple or sweetsop. Although the exact original home of custard apple is still being debated, experts agree that its native habitat extends from Southern Central America to tropical South America.
How long does it take for a sugar apple tree to bear fruit?
Harvesting. You should be able to harvest the sugar apple fruit after 3 to 4 years from planting it. It will keep producing fruits for 10 to 11 years. When it is 15 years old, it will decline.
Are sugar apples and cherimoya the same?
Quick comparison: Atemoya and cherimoya fruits have a similar appearance and taste. The atemoya is a hybrid of the cherimoya and sugar apple. Fruits produced by an atemoya tree are smaller than the cherimoya with skin that is spiky and warty; the cherimoya has scale-like skin, closer in appearance to a sugar apple.
What is sugar apple good for?
The bottom line. Cherimoya — also known as custard apple — is a sweet, tropical fruit with a creamy texture. It’s loaded with beneficial nutrients that may support your mood, immunity, and digestion. However, cherimoya contains small amounts of toxic compounds — especially in the skin and seeds.
How tall does a sugar apple tree grow?
about 20 ft
Remember, sugar apple trees can grow to about 20 ft (6.1 m) high if not pruned to contain their size.
Is sugar apple self pollinating?
Sugar Apple Tree (Sweetsop Tree) Pollination Sugar Apple Tree (Sweetsop Tree)s are self-fertile. You will get fruit with only one plant.
How big does a sugar apple tree grow?
15 to 20 ft
Importance: Sugar apples are a common fruit tree in the home landscape throughout the tropics and have been widely planted in south Florida. Small, open, spreading to upright tree with long, slender branches; trees rarely exceed 15 to 20 ft (4.6-6.1 m) in height and spread.
What is the difference between sugar apple and custard apple?
Sugar Apple is Annona squamosa. The name Custard Apple is mixed up depending on where you are. Here it’s a hybrid of Annona squamosa X Annona cherimola and is the main commercially produced one. Annona reticulata is also referred to as Custard Apple (and sometimes so is Annona squamosa).
What is another name for sugar apples?
What is it? Also called the custard apple, among many other names, including the scientific name “Annona squamosa,” a sugar apple is a small fruit, part of the Annonaceae family, and is popular in the tropics. It is believed to have originated from Central America or the West Indies.
Is sugar in apples bad?
However, when it hits your liver slowly and in small amounts, as is the case when you eat an apple, your body is well adapted to easily metabolize the fructose. While eating large amounts of added sugar is harmful to most people, the same does not apply to fruit.