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'YELLOW'
Origin story - As far as we know, ABP is the birthplace of the 'Yellow' sugar apple in the nursery trade. It did not exist in Florida gardens until we recently introduced it. Our founder, Marshall, dedicated years to acquiring this cultivar and growing it at commercial scale. He first learned about its existence in 2019. Early in 2022, he planted the first batch of seeds, and they survived the collapse of the original ABP greenhouse as small seedlings during Hurricane Ian in September 2022.
Flavor profile - Eating sugar apples is a truly exotic experience. An initial rush of pure sweetness is followed by a strong grassy, sugarcane-like note. It's as close to growing candy as it gets.
Field notes - Exposure to the elements wears the fruit's exterior as sugar apples age on the tree. The skin turns black where leaves and stems rub, and sloppy handling of the soft, ripe fruit worsens its appearance. Darkening of the skin will likely be more pronounced and difficult to avoid with the 'Yellow' cultivar. 'Yellow' sugar apples should be grown and handled delicately. Trees self-pollinate and produce high yields of stunning yellow fruits. The trees look incredibly stately and striking bright yellow fruits pop out like ornaments on a Christmas tree. Young seedlings seem more susceptible to fungus and can be recognized by the bright pink pigmentation of their hypocotyls. The plants are distinguished by the presence of bright yellow xanthophyll in many of their structures, including leaves, stems, and new growth.
Cultivar status - The first trial batch was released in 2023 in three-gallon containers. In 2024, it was sold in commercial quantities for the first time. 'Yellow' sugar apples are available in larger quantities each year.
'RED'
Flavor profile - Extremely sweet and very juicy. The texture is somewhat mushy, and the fruit falls apart when peeled open. It lacks the grassy, sugarcane-like taste of the 'Green' type in exchange for its extra sweetness.
Field notes - Exposure to the elements wears the fruit's exterior as sugar apples age on the tree. The skin turns black where leaves and stems rub against the fruit, and sloppy handling of the ripe fruit further worsens its appearance, making it difficult to sell. Red sugar apples solve this problem, as darkening of the skin is hardly visible due to the fruit's red color. Young seedlings grow vigorously with little damage caused by fungus.
Cultivar status - Has been in circulation for quite some time.
'Kampong Mauve'
'M-one'
Origin story - The story behind this giant Mexican sugar apple isn't quite clear. The location of the mother tree at the old "Treehouse" nursery on Pine Island, Florida suggests that the cultivar was introduced by Treehouse's owners Bob and Vivian Murray who have since passed away. Natural hybrids of A. reticulata x A. squamosa occur where the two species' ranges meet on the Yucatán Peninsula. Yucatán was a destination where the Murray's visited and networked with locals to acquire fruit from open air markets and research stations. Har Mahdeem suggested that this is most likely a selection of A. squamosa called M1 that the Murrays acquired from a research station during their travels to Yucatán, Mexico.
Flavor profile - Strong berry tasting notes and a decent amount of stonecells reminiscent of A. reticulata. Each section is larger than normal, fleshy, and firm with a fair amount of seed. The flavor was slightly watered down but still very good.
Field notes - Very thick rind helps with pest protection. Tendency for fruits to split when ripeness is achieved. The tree is believed to produce low yields of one to two fruit per year due to old age. Overall, a novelty.
Cultivar status - Likely to be released in coming years and used as breeding stock for future hybrids.
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