Manilkara zapotaSapodilla

A mature Manilkara zapota is one of the most solid evergreens available for a hot coastal site. The crown is dense, dark and broadly pyramidal, the leaves are thick and glossy, and the whole tree stands up to wind, salt spray and the limestone soils that thin out most alternatives.

It is slow, which counts against it on a programme, and it fruits heavily, which counts against it over paving. Sited properly it is a fifty-year tree.

Specifications

• Height10 to 20 metres
• Width8 to 12 metres
• Native toSouthern Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean
• FoliageThick, glossy, elliptic dark green leaves clustered towards the branch tips; evergreen
• Growth rateSlow

Conditions

• SoilTolerates a wide range including shallow, alkaline and limestone soils, provided drainage is free
• LightFull sun
• WaterLow to moderate; drought-tolerant once established
• ClimateThrives in tropical, subtropical and hot coastal regions

Additional Features

• FlowersSmall white bell-shaped flowers borne in the leaf axils
• FruitRounded brown fruit with sweet granular flesh, ripening over a long season
• UsesShade and shelter on coastal sites, park and resort planting, windbreaks and edible landscaping
• SpacingPlant 8 to 10 metres apart, and away from paving where fruit drop is a concern
• Low MaintenanceRequires very little pruning, though fruit litter under the canopy should be expected in season
• Pest ResistanceNotably resistant to pests and disease
• Salt ToleranceStands salt-laden wind and saline soils, and is long used in Caribbean and Florida coastal planting
• Drought ToleranceEstablished trees hold their canopy through dry seasons

The Sapodilla is a dense, durable evergreen for coastal shade and shelter, and one of the few fruiting trees that genuinely earns a place in a public landscape.