Custard Apple Plant (Sitaphal) – Live Annona squamosa Sweet Fruit Plant for Home Garden & Indian Climate

The Custard Apple Plant (Annona squamosa), commonly known in India as Sitaphal or Sharifa, is a tropical fruiting shrub or small tree belonging to the Annonaceae family. It is widely cultivated in India and other tropical regions for its distinctive sweet fruits. Kew identifies the species as native to tropical America but widely introduced across India and many other tropical countries.

The tree develops an open, branched canopy with green leaves and small greenish-yellow flowers. After successful pollination, the flowers develop into rounded or heart-shaped fruits with a knobbly segmented surface.

When ripe, the fruit contains soft, creamy-white pulp surrounding several dark seeds. The pulp has a rich, sweet, custard-like flavour and is commonly eaten fresh or used in milkshakes, desserts and ice cream. UF/IFAS describes sugar apple pulp as creamy-white with a sweet, pleasant flavour.

Custard Apple performs best in full sunlight and well-draining soil. Established plants can tolerate some drought, making the crop suitable for many dry and semi-arid Indian growing regions. TNAU notes that selected Indian cultivars perform well under both rainfed and irrigated conditions.

Fruit set can sometimes be limited by natural pollination because Annona flowers have female and male phases at different times. UF/IFAS notes that hand pollination can substantially improve fruit set and fruit shape where natural pollination is poor.

Because this is a generic Custard Apple listing, fruit size, sweetness, seed count and bearing characteristics will vary depending on the specific cultivar and propagation method.