CHERIMOYA

A friend asked me once what a cherimoya tasted like. After a few moments of careful thought, I told him that I couldn’t explain it; the fruit simply has to be eaten to be believed. Most literature describes the custard-like flesh of the cherimoya as tasting like a blend of banana, pineapple and papaya, if you can imagine that. However, something is missing from even that elaborate concoction of tastes.

The fruit has an equally distinctive appearance, something like a cross between a strawberry--but with a light green skin--and an armadillo, though the armor-like plating is a sham. The skin is only a soft, paper-thin covering.

Indigenous to the subtropical highlands of Ecuador and Peru, the cherimoya tree can be grown in many of the milder areas of Southern California. A mature tree will tolerate temperatures down to 28 degrees Fahrenheit; young trees, however, need protection from even the hint of frost. The cherimoya grows especially well in our coastal areas, shielded from coastal winds by buildings or large trees. It is a handsome tree, with large, oval leaves distinctly tropical in appearance.

The tree requires a sunny planting site and a soil with good drainage that has been enriched with organic materials. The culture of the cherimoya is quite similar to that of a citrus tree; it needs regular, deep irrigation and fertilizing in spring and early fall.

The tree begins to bear fruit about three years after planting, but there’s a catch: It must have some help in the form of hand-pollination, although it will bear some fruit without it. Beginning in June, you have to pollinate each flower with a small paintbrush. Remove the pollen from the male portion when the flower is fully open in the afternoon and store it in the refrigerator. Then, in the morning, brush the pollen onto the cone-like pistil of the partially open female part.

Hand-pollinate about a dozen flowers per week through August. By drawing out the pollination procedure, you will also extend the harvest period over several months. Fruits usually mature from November through March, when the skin begins to turn yellowish-green. Pick it and allow it to soften at room temperature; then store it in the refrigerator.

Although you can grow a cherimoya tree from seed, a seedling is seldom a reliable producer of fruit. Instead, purchase a grafted, named variety. They are not easy to find but you can try these sources: Pacific Tree Farms, Chula Vista, (619) 422-2400; Exotica Seed Co., Vista, (619) 724-9093, and Palos Verdes Begonia Farm, Palos Verdes, (213) 378-2228.