Origin story - Ferries between Miami and Havana stopped by 1961 as a result of the bloody Cuban Revolution. A Cuban émigré, Genaro "Jimmy" Morales, fleeing the Castro regime brought these yellow custard apple seeds from a tree in Havana to Florida on one of the last ferries out of Cuba. Jimmy sowed the first generation of seeds at his family farm in Naples, Florida. Seeds were spread by successive generations of the family once that tree began to fruit. The 'Havana' mother tree was almost killed by winds from Hurricane Irma that knocked it down for the first time in September 2017, but the family nursed it back to full health. Jimmy's granddaughter, Cecelia Morales, named this tree in honor of its storied history that began in Havana. In September 2022, Hurricane Ian blew the mother tree over a second time. Cecelia raised it up again and it is prospering.

Flavor profile - Its smooth, bright yellow, orange, and red skin makes 'Havana' one of the most eye catching 🐲🥚s we have ever seen. Sought after for its perfectly creamy texture, the interior of the fruit contains little to no grit and a low seed count. Tasting notes include buttered rum and carrot cake. It's so delicious you'll even eat the fruit's skin! 

Field notes - Flowers throughout the Summer with small pea-sized fruits beginning to appear in mid to late August. Trees drop all of their foliage and go through dormancy up until late April. Fruits should be protected with breathable nylon mesh bags as early as possible because they are susceptible to being bored by chalcid wasps at all stages of development. Fruits ripen primarily in the month of May. This variety is self fertile so hand pollination is not required and anthracnose spotting is uncommon.

Cultivar status - 'Havana' was released onto the market in 2020 as a joint venture between the Morales family and Annona Breeding Project.