Product Code Database
Manilkara zapota, commonly known as sapodilla (), sapote, chicozapote, chicoo, chicle, naseberry, nispero, or
soapapple, among other names, (2025). 9781439856888, CRC Press. ISBN 9781439856888 is an evergreen tree native to southern Mexico and Central America. An example natural occurrence is in coastal Yucatán, in the Petenes mangroves ecoregion, where it is a subdominant plant species.World Wildlife Fund. eds. Mark McGinley, C.Michael Hogan & C. Cleveland. 2010. Petenes mangroves. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment. Washington DC It was introduced to the Philippines during Spanish colonization. It is grown in large quantities in Mexico and in tropical Asia, including India, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, as well as in the Caribbean.
The specific epithet zapota is from the Spanish zapote , which ultimately derives from the Nahuatl word sapote used for other similar looking fruits.
The trees can survive only in warm, typically tropical environments (although it has low tolerance to drought and heat in its early years), Growing Sapodilla: Manilkara zapota. Garden Oracle. Retrieved 8 August, 2023. "Heat tolerant: These trees have difficulty when young, over 90°F, and when mature, over 105°F. They will need afternoon shade and extra water in these temperatures. Drought tolerant: Yes, after three years." dying easily if the temperature drops below freezing. From germination, the sapodilla tree will usually take anywhere from five to eight years to bear fruit. The sapodilla trees yield fruit twice a year, though flowering may continue year round.
The white flowers are inconspicuous and bell-like, with a six-lobed corolla.
The ripe fruit has an exceptionally sweet, malty flavor. The unripe fruit is hard to the touch and contains high amounts of saponin, which has astringent properties similar to tannin, drying out the mouth.
Acetone extracts of the seeds exhibited in vitro antibacterial effects against strains of Pseudomonas oleovorans and Vibrio cholerae.
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