Atemoya (Annona cherimola X Annona squamosa) was developed by crossing Cherimoya (Annona cherimola) with Sugar Apple (Annona squamosa).

The first cross was made in 1908 by one P.J. Wester, a Horticulturist at the USDA’s Subtropical Laboratory
in Miami.

Resulting fruits were of superior quality to the Sugar Apple and were given the name "Atemoya", a
combination of "Ate", an old Mexican name for Sugar Apple, and "Moya" from Cherimoya.

And then in 1917, one Edward Simmons at Miami’s Plant Introduction Station successfully grew hybrids
that survived a drop in temperature to 26.5ºF, showing Atemoya’s hardiness derived from one of its parent,
the Cherimoya.

The Atemoya, like other Annona trees bear Protogynous flowers that are Hermaphroditic and self-pollination is rare. And therefore artificial, hand pollination almost always guarantees superior quality fruits.
Atemoyas are sometimes misshapen, underdeveloped on one side, as the result of inadequate pollination.

An Atemoya flower, in its female stage, opens between 2pm and 4pm and between 3pm and 5 pm on the following afternoon, the flower converts to its male stage.
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Photo #1
An young Atemoya hanging in a tree in Melbourne, Florida in October.
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Photo #2
2 “Gefner” Atemoyas in June from a tree in Hopkins Tropical Fruit Nursery in Immokalee, Florida.
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I assume hand pollinating, you must Qtip the flower on day one, save it until the next day.
Perhaps in a ziploc bag? I had one atemoya fruit last year, it tasted amazing. It was
somewhat malformed, and several other flowers produced nothing. I plan on attempting
hand pollination this spring if i get the chance. My surinam cherries are flowering up a storm
right now, hopefully they'll produce.

Gary

Its best to use a clean small paint brush, one to paint model airplanes. Collect the pollen in a dark camera case in the fridge overnight.

Also, I don't know if it helps but as an observation, I'll strip all my annonas of their leaves to have them wake up and start growing. I find if I leave the old leaf on to drop by itself, they take longer to flush out new growth. Strip the leaves, and the flush out within a couple of weeks.

Another thing I do is when I start to see the flowers I leave some old decaying fruit (any fruit) under the trees. Bob Murray said that it may help encourage beetles to come and visit the flowers and pollinate them. Don't know, but I try anything to get fruit!

Another tidbit I have heard that you get better results if you cross sugar apple and atemoya together. I hand pollinate and get fruit every year. My trees are now just starting to get some girth to them. Hurricanes put a hurtin' on them. They are ugly trees in the winter. Not ornamental...but, the fruit? The best tasting!

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surf forecast

Edited: 02/16/2005 at 04:40 PM by Central Floridave

Kampong Atemoya