Annona sylvatica (Br)

Araticum apô, "do tupi – soft fruit of bark with protrusions or angled"; also receives the names: Araticu of the forest, yellow araticum of the hill and yellow cork. Origin: It is natural from the dense coastal and very rainy region of the Atlantic forest from the state of Minas Gerais to Rio grande do Sul, Brazil. Characteristics: Tree from 6 to 8 meters high, with whitish gray trunk measuring 30 to 40 cm in diameter. The leaves are simple, largely ovadas (egg shape) with petiolo or short orange stem measuring 0.8 to 1.5 cm long.Tips for cultivation: Plant of humid subtropical climate, more resists temperate climates where there are frosts of up to – 3 degree (26 F), can be cultivated throughout Brazil, at any altitude; adapts well to sandy or clayey and red soils that are deep, with acid pH to neutral and with good amount of dissolved organic matter. It can be planted even on riverbanks where occasional floods occur. The fruit harvest runs from March to April and the fruits can be harvested by cutting the cabinwith scissors when they are almost completely yellowish. This species can be successfully cultivated in stony soils. Uses: Fruit in the months of January to March. The tree can be grown in green areas and the branches are firm and do not break easily. Always include in forest recomposition, because its fruits feed several species of birds and animals, mainly monkeys and quatis. The fruits are very tasty for fresh consumption and the seeds release with some difficulty of the pulp. The fruits can also be pulped and the pulp frozen to make jams, yogurts with curdled milk, mousses, ice cream, juices and gelatins. The fruits have medium-thickness bark and are resistant to management; in addition to being kept for about 8 days after harvested in cool places and for more than 25 days if in refrigerators.