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White sapote

Casimiroa edulis

White sapote is a citrus-family tree from the highlands of Mexico and Central America, no relation to mamey or black sapote. Its thin-skinned green to yellow fruit has smooth, sweet, custard-like flesh; some trees leave a slight bitterness near the peel. It takes more cold than most tropical fruit and wants a cool or dry rest before it flowers.

Tree facts

Scientific name
Casimiroa edulis
Origin
Highlands of central Mexico and Central America
Tree size
15–60 ft depending on type; UF/IFAS suggests cutting it back to 10–15 ft once it has borne a few years
Growth rate
Slow to medium
Sun
Full sun, at least 25 ft from other trees, buildings and power lines.
Soil
Most well-drained soils, from sand to clay to limestone. Mature trees need little watering, and too much water makes them decline.
Soil pH
Adaptable; rarely shows iron deficiency even in alkaline limestone soil
Pollination
Insect-pollinated. Some types bear only functionally female flowers and need another type nearby for a good crop.
Cold hardiness
Fairly frost-tolerant for a tropical fruit; UF/IFAS gives damage or death at about 24–26°F.
USDA zones
9b–11
Years to first fruit
7–8 from seed; grafted trees bear sooner and come true to type
Season
Mar–Aug
Water
About every 14 days once established, without rain; more in heat, in pots and while young
Feeding
About every 120 days, Feb–Aug
Pruning
Aug–Sep
Taste
Sweet, smooth and creamy, like a mild custard; some types turn a little bitter near the peel
Nutrition
No reliable nutrition figures in the sources used

Is white sapote safe to eat? Edible and toxic parts

What you can eat

  • Ripe flesh, eaten fresh

Toxic parts and cautions

  • Toxic: The seeds are poisonous. Don't eat them, and keep them away from children and pets.
  • Take care: The leaves and bark contain sedative compounds, and tea made from the leaves causes drowsiness. Don't use them as a home remedy. The ripe flesh doesn't contain them.

Pets: No reliable data for dogs, cats or horses. The seeds are poisonous to people, so keep them away from animals too.

How to eat and enjoy white sapote

  • Fresh, halved and eaten with a spoon
  • Blended into milkshakes and smoothies
  • In desserts

When it's ripe

Mostly spring and summer, depending on type. Clip mature fruit a few days before it would drop, leaving a short bit of stem; when it's ripe the stem falls off and the fruit softens. The peel is very thin, so handle it gently: bruised flesh turns bitter.

Storing it

Ripen at room temperature, then keep ripe fruit in the fridge for 7–10 days.

White sapote varieties (10)

  • Blumenthal

    A pale yellow fruit with creamy white flesh.

    Origin: California · Taste: Fair to good · Size: 5–6 oz

  • Dade

    A golden-yellow fruit tinged with green, with creamy white flesh and no bitterness.

    Origin: Florida · Taste: Good, not bitter · Size: 6–7 oz

  • Denzler · also Densler

    A large type with yellow skin and yellow flesh.

    Origin: California · Taste: Good · Size: 11–13 oz

  • Golden · also Max Golden

    A small yellow-green fruit with creamy white flesh and a strong flavor.

    Origin: California · Taste: Strong, with some bitterness · Size: 4–5 oz

    One of the types most often sold in Florida.

  • Homestead

    A yellow-green fruit with creamy white flesh and no bitterness.

    Origin: Florida · Taste: Good, not bitter · Size: About 7 oz

    One of the types most often sold in Florida.

  • McDill

    The largest fruit on UF/IFAS's list, greenish-yellow with creamy white flesh.

    Origin: California · Taste: Good · Size: 12–16 oz

  • Pike

    A light green fruit with white to yellow flesh and a rich flavor.

    Origin: California · Taste: Rich, not bitter · Size: 8–9 oz

    One of the types most often sold in Florida.

  • Reinecke Commercial · also Reinecke, Reineke, Reineke Commercial, Reinekie, Reinikie

    A golden-yellow fruit with yellow flesh, and one of the types most often sold in Florida.

    Origin: California · Taste: Good · Size: 7–8 oz

  • Smathers

    A greenish-yellow fruit with yellow flesh.

    Origin: Florida · Taste: Fair · Size: 8–9 oz

  • Suebelle

    A small green to yellow-green fruit with white flesh and the best flavor on UF/IFAS's list.

    Origin: California · Taste: Excellent, sweet · Size: Small

    One of the types most often sold in Florida.

Pests and diseases to watch for

  • Scale insects

    Small bumps, waxy or shell-like, on stems and leaf veins; sticky honeydew and black sooty mold below.

    What to do: Scrub small colonies off with a soft brush.

  • Mealybugs

    White cottony clusters in leaf joints, under leaves and on fruit stems; honeydew and sooty mold.

    What to do: Blast off with a strong spray of water.

  • Aphids

    Clusters of tiny soft insects on new shoots; leaves curl and get sticky.

    What to do: Spray off with water.

  • Sooty mold

    Black, papery film on leaves and fruit that wipes off; it grows on honeydew.

    What to do: Control the insects making honeydew; the mold then weathers away.

  • Spider mites

    Fine pale speckling on leaves, dusty undersides and fine webbing; leaves bronze and drop.

    What to do: Hose the undersides of leaves.

Growing white sapotes? Let Yardkin keep track.

Yardkin tells you when your white sapote needs water based on your local weather, reminds you to feed and prune in season, and keeps every harvest and photo.

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General guidance, not medical or veterinary advice. Poison Control (US): 1-800-222-1222. ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435.