Sugar apple - Annona squamosa

Common Name :	Sugar apple, Custard apple, Sweetsop.
Botanical Name :	Annona squamosa
Synonym :	Annona asiatica L
Family :	Annonaceae
Bengali Name :	Ata (আতা), Ata fol (আতা ফল).
Photo Taken :	Bangladesh

Sugar apple is a very delicious fruit that is native to West Indies. I thought this fruit was native to our country Bangladesh. This fruit tree is widely available in our country, specially at the village area. It is hard to believe that the plant was imported in our region. This fruit was introduced in our region by the Portuguese during the colonial era.

In Bangladesh people call this as Ata (আতা) or Ata fol (আতা ফল) which actually came from the Portuguese name Ata. It has common names such as Custard apple, Sweetsop, etc. Now a days this fruit plant grows in South Asia and South Asia as well. Botanical name of Sugar apple is Annona squamosa. It belongs to the plant family Annonaceae.

Sugar apple (Annona squamosa) is an evergreen medium sized plant. The leafs of the plant are long, slender, with round at bottom and pointed at the top. Leafs are alternately arranged. Plant has a light brown bark. Leafs and the bark is slightly bitter in taste.

Flower of Sugar apple (Annona squamosa) is not that much attractive. They are solitary and pale green colored with three outer petals (not know much about inner petals as I haven't seen them). I've taken the photo of the flower during rainy season of Bangladesh. I believe that is the flowering season for this fruit.

Fruits of Sugar apple look like a giant raspberry. The color of the ripe fruit can be green, yellow, reddish yellow, or pink depend upon the variety. Inside the fruit it has plenty of stones. The pulp around the fruit is very sweet in taste. That's why it is called Sugar apple. But the seed of unripe fruit can be poisonous.

Photos of Sugar apple (Annona squamosa) were taken from Chachra, Jessore of Bangladesh. It was during June 2013. I didn't have a good long zoom camera that time. I was only able to take the photo of flowers which were at lower branch.


This article has written by Lonely Traveler,
for the blog http://icflora.blogspot.com/