Ilama

Guillermo

Origin story - Zill High Performance Plants nursery in West Palm Beach, Florida sent Har Mahdeem to western Guatemala several times where he collected a variety of Ilamas. 'Guillermo' was acquired near Retahuleu during one of these trips from the yard of a man named Guillermo.

Flavor profile - Striking pink-colored pulp is highly aromatic. Subacid and sweet tasting notes are well balanced and reminiscent of strawberry, mulberry, blackberry, raspberry, and other juicy red fruits.

Field notes - This variety is well suited to South Florida. Trees do best with a low to moderate amount of water supplied by drip irrigation. Over watering and overhead irrigation cause persistent fungal issues. Hand pollination and consistent fertilization is highly recommended for prolific flowering and fruit production.

Cultivar status - Available for many years as a grafted plant from fruit tree nurseries in South Florida on A. glabra rootstock.

Annona macroprophyllata

Ilamas are thick skinned, cold hardy Annonas with a high potential for improvement and commercialization. We are looking forward to working with fruit growers to develop an ilama industry in the US.

Photo taken during Ilama season in El Salvador - September 2019