Atemoya Live Plant – 2-3 ft Tall Tree – Ships in 3 Gallon Pot

Overview

Cultivate a taste of the tropics right in your backyard with this exquisite atemoya live plant. A remarkable hybrid of the sugar apple (Annona squamosa) and the cherimoya (Annona cherimola), the atemoya offers a unique culinary experience. This particular specimen stands impressively at 2 to 3 feet tall and arrives securely potted in a 3-gallon container, ensuring a healthy start for your new fruit tree. The atemoya is celebrated for its fragrant and firm fruit, which features a snowy-white flesh with a fine, custard-like texture. Typically conical to heart-shaped, these fruits can grow quite large, sometimes weighing up to 5 pounds. Unlike its sugar apple parent, the atemoya generally has fewer seeds and its flesh is not divided into distinct segments, making for an easier and more enjoyable eating experience. Known for its vigorous growth and delicious yield, this atemoya live plant is an excellent choice for gardeners looking to expand their edible landscape with something truly special.

Key Benefits

The atemoya live plant offers a multitude of benefits, from its delicious fruit to its attractive foliage, making it a valuable addition to your garden or orchard. Here are some of the standout advantages:

• Exotic Fruit Production: Enjoy the unique, sweet, and fragrant flavor of atemoya fruit, a delightful blend of pineapple, mango, and vanilla, offering a gourmet experience unmatched by common fruits.
• Nutritional Value: Atemoya fruits are not only tasty but also packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, contributing to a healthy diet.
• Ornamental Appeal: Beyond its fruit, the atemoya live plant boasts attractive foliage and a pleasing growth habit, adding a touch of tropical beauty to your landscape.
• Unique Hybrid Vigor: As a cross between two popular Annona species, atemoya often exhibits hybrid vigor, leading to robust growth and potentially higher yields under optimal conditions.
• Fewer Seeds: Compared to its sugar apple parent, the atemoya fruit contains significantly fewer seeds, making it more enjoyable to eat and process.
• Adaptability: While thriving in tropical and subtropical climates, with proper care and protection, a atemoya live plant can be grown in warmer temperate zones, especially if brought indoors during colder months.
• Potential for Hand Pollination: For increased fruit set, hand pollination can significantly boost the yield, giving gardeners more control over their harvest.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Proper care is essential for a thriving atemoya live plant and abundant fruit production. Atemoyas prefer warm, frost-free climates and will perform best in USDA Hardiness Zones 9-11. They require a location that receives full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day, to encourage flowering and fruit development. In very hot climates, some afternoon shade can be beneficial to prevent leaf scorch. When considering growing atemoya, ensure your soil is well-draining, fertile, and slightly acidic to neutral (pH 6.0-7.0). Amending heavy clay soils with organic matter can improve drainage and aeration, which is crucial for root health.

Watering should be consistent, especially during dry periods and when the plant is actively growing and fruiting. Aim to keep the soil consistently moist but never waterlogged. Reduce watering frequency during cooler, dormant months. Fertilize your atemoya fruit tree regularly during the growing season with a balanced fertilizer, switching to a higher phosphorus and potassium formula once flowering begins to support fruit development. Protect young trees from strong winds and frost. If you live in an area with occasional light frosts, consider covering the tree or bringing it indoors if it’s in a container. Pruning is generally minimal, focusing on removing dead or diseased branches and shaping the tree for better air circulation and fruit accessibility. Keep an eye out for common pests and diseases, addressing them promptly to maintain plant health. Understanding the nuances of atemoya tree care will lead to a successful and rewarding harvest.

For optimal fruit set, especially in areas with limited natural pollinators, hand pollination can be very effective. This involves collecting pollen from male-phase flowers and transferring it to female-phase flowers, typically in the morning. This careful attention to detail can greatly increase your chances of a bountiful harvest from your cherimoya sugar apple hybrid.

Size & Details

This offering is for one vigorous atemoya live plant, which stands approximately 2 to 3 feet tall from the base of the plant to the tip of its tallest stem. It is securely rooted and shipped in a 3-gallon nursery pot, providing ample space for its root system to establish and grow during transit and upon arrival. The plant is typically well-branched and ready for transplanting into a larger container or directly into your garden, depending on your climate and growing preferences. With proper care, this atemoya live plant will continue to grow and develop into a productive fruit-bearing tree. Atemoya trees are moderately fast growers, and you can expect them to reach a mature height of 15-25 feet, though they can be kept smaller with pruning. Fruit production typically begins within 2-4 years after planting, with peak yields occurring as the tree matures. The hearty root system in the 3-gallon pot ensures a robust start for your new addition.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this atemoya plant get? A: This atemoya live plant is currently 2-3 feet tall and shipped in a 3-gallon pot. With proper care, it can grow to a mature height of 15-25 feet, though it can be maintained at a smaller size with regular pruning.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: The atemoya live plant is shipped in a sturdy 3-gallon nursery pot, providing a healthy root system for successful transplanting.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: Atemoya trees are best grown outdoors in tropical or subtropical climates (USDA Zones 9-11) where they receive full sun. In cooler regions, they can be grown in large containers and brought indoors during cold weather, requiring specific atemoya tree care.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: For optimal growth and fruit production, your atemoya fruit tree requires at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. In extremely hot climates, some afternoon shade can be beneficial.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: While not as hands-off as some ornamental plants, growing atemoya is relatively straightforward for gardeners in suitable climates. Consistent watering, feeding, and protection from frost are key.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: You will receive one healthy, live plant that is 2-3 feet tall, securely packaged in its 3-gallon pot with good roots, ready for planting.
• Q: How long until it produces fruit? A: Typically, a cherimoya sugar apple hybrid like the atemoya can begin producing fruit within 2-4 years after planting, with yields increasing as the tree matures.
• Q: What’s the best soil type for this plant? A: Atemoyas prefer well-draining, fertile soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.0-7.0). Good drainage is crucial to prevent root rot.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: Atemoyas are sensitive to frost. They thrive in USDA Zones 9-11. If you are in a colder zone, you will need to provide winter protection or grow it in a container that can be moved indoors.
• Q: Can I increase the fruit yield? A: Yes, hand pollination can significantly increase the fruit set and yield of your atemoya live plant, especially if natural pollinators are scarce.