Sapotaceae
How to identify a sapodilla tree
Manilkara zapota · also called chico (Philippines), chikoo (South Asia), níspero (Spanish, regional)
A rough brown-skinned fruit with grainy, malty-sweet flesh often compared to brown sugar or pear. The historic source tree of chicle, the original base of chewing gum; often bears two flushes a year in favorable climates.
Field marks
These features are typical of the genus Manilkara, so they help confirm you are looking at the right group; the fruit and the details below separate the species.
- Cut twigs and unripe fruit bleed a white latex (sapodilla latex is the original chicle).
- Leaves are glossy, simple and clustered at the branch tips; the fruit has a rough, brown, potato-like skin.
Check a photo
Photograph one whole, mature leaf from above, or a flower or fruit, and the identifier will return ranked matches. If sapodilla is the top result, the field marks above are your second opinion.
Leaves, flowers, fruit, or bark — closer and sharper identifies better. Your photo is identified and discarded, never stored.
Where and when you will find it
- Origin / cultivation history
- Mesoamerica
- USDA zones
- 10b-11
- Climate
- Tropical, notably wind- and some salt-tolerant, drought-tolerant once established.
- Fruiting season
- Season not documented; check local sources
- How often grown
- Uncommon in cultivation
A tree growing well outside the climate above is more likely to be a look-alike.
Growing it: seedling or grafted?
A young tree with no fruit is harder to identify and easy to mislabel, so it helps to know how long it takes to reach fruiting age and how it is usually propagated.
- Years to first fruit
- Seedling 5-8 yrs; grafted 3-4 yrs
- Propagation
- Grafting, air-layering, or seed.
Relatives in the Sapotaceae family
Close relatives share many features, so these are the most likely mix-ups.
- Mamey sapotePouteria sapota
- CanistelPouteria campechiana
- AbiuPouteria caimito
- CaimitoChrysophyllum cainito
- LucumaPouteria lucuma
- Miracle fruitSynsepalum dulcificum
Map your sapodilla trees
CanopyTwin keeps every tree on a map with its species, cultivar, photos and history, and counts flowers and fruit from survey photos. It is built for orchards, nurseries and collectors of tropical and rare fruit.
More identification guides: free plant identifier · tropical fruit tree identifier · fruit tree identifier · all species guides