Casimiroa pringlei "Pringle's Zapote"

[edself65]

I was wondering if any of you are growing
 Casimiroa pringlei "Pringle's Zapote"

Thanks,

Ed

[Felipe]

Is it supposed to be a cultivar or a sp.?

[edself65]

sp very cold hardy I think native to Mexico fruit is small the size of a loquats fruit.

Ed

[ScottR]

Hi Ed, I've got a couple of seedlings in the ground be only about 2' tall right now, maybe 3-4 yrs. old seem to be slow growers for me but I have cool summers here close to coast in Central Calif.

[edself65]

Scott did your seeds come from Texas? Have you attempted to graft any White Sapote scions onto them?

Thanks,

Ed

[HIfarm]

Interesting.  Any idea of the flavor, Ed?  Is it like white sapote?

John

[edself65]

WhIte Sapote relative. The fruit I tried was very tart and small about 1 inch in diameter.

Ed

[mangomike]

They are a distinct species found in Northern Mexico especially the mountains of Nuevo Leon. John Fairey used to have them in his catalog at the Yucca-Do Nursery in Texas, but I, not sure  if the nursery is still in business.

C pringlei is a shrubby species to about 6 to 8 feet with a fruit much smaller than C edulis. It is supposed to be much hardier. I always wanted to try grafting C. edulis on to see if 1) it would make a good dwarfing stock for edulis and 2) if it would impart more cold hardiness. Have never gotten around to it. Hybridization should also be interesting.

[edself65]

John Fairey still has plants growing at his nursery. It is called Peckerwood Gardens now. Most of the C. Pringlei plants that people are growing the seeds came from Johns nursery or the late Lynn Lowery s nursery in Houston. The reason I got interested in the C. Pringlei is that it is hardy down to 4 F and if I could find White Sapote varieties that are graft compatible with it I was hoping to increase the cold hardiness of some White Sapote cultivars. It is still an experiment in progress!

Ed

[ScottR]

Hi Ed, yes I got my seeds from Peckerwood Gardens I believe and yeas when they get bigger and branch out I would like to graft a W. sapote to it!