Soursop

Annona muricata 'Whitman'

fruit

Soursop (Annona muricata Whitman) is a small tropical tree, 25 to 30 ft tall, bearing large, heart-shaped, spiny green fruit with soft, white, fragrant, fiber-flecked pulp. The flavor is a distinctive blend of pineapple and citrus with a creamy texture, famous in tropical juices, nectars, sorbets, and ice cream. Whitman is a low-fiber, low-seed selection. The tree is extremely frost sensitive, killed by even a few degrees of frost, so it is strictly for tropical climates or large containers, and it tends to be a shy bearer, yielding a modest number of large fruit.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Banana — A fast tropical that provides humidity and a windbreak for the shallow-rooted tree
• Comfrey — A nutrient accumulator for a mineral-rich mulch over the fibrous roots
• Lemongrass — A tropical clumping grass that mulches the root zone and deters some pests

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Mealybugs →

  Cottony clusters on fruit and stems; rinse off, use horticultural oil, and control the ants that tend them

• Scale insects →

  Bumps on stems and leaves; treat with horticultural oil and conserve natural enemies

• Anthracnose →

  A fungus causing flower and fruit drop and twig dieback in wet weather; prune for airflow and remove affected parts

🌾 Harvest & storage

Pick soursop when the fruit is full-sized and still firm but the spines have softened and the skin lightens to a yellow-green, since fruit left on the tree falls and smashes. It ripens in about five to six days at room temperature, becoming soft enough to yield to gentle thumb pressure. Scoop the white pulp from the seeds to eat fresh or to blend (seeds removed) into drinks and frozen desserts.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Soursop pulp is high in vitamin C and fiber and low in fat, with a creamy pineapple-citrus flavor. It is eaten fresh (seeds removed) and blended into juices, nectars, sorbets, and ice cream.

⚠️ Toxicity & safety

Eat only the white pulp, with the seeds removed. The seeds contain a toxic oil that is a severe eye irritant and are poisonous if crushed and swallowed, so never blend the fruit with the seeds in. The bark and leaves also contain toxic alkaloids and are not for consumption. Note too that some research has linked very heavy, regular consumption of soursop (which contains annonacin) to nerve concerns, so enjoy it in normal food amounts.